Metamorphosis
by Kuro No Sumire
Summary: It's been 11 years after Naraku was defeated and Rin has grown into a beautiful and strong young woman. She is not the same child she was only years ago. Can Sesshomaru come to accept her metamorphosis and will he ever realize that he does have something
1. Realization

**Chapter 1**

He watched her as the cherry blossoms flew through the sky to land on her beautiful dancing form in a sea of Carnations and Baby's Breath. Leaning against an old Willow tree, he breathed in the warm air of spring that was blowing ever so lightly across his pale face; but strong enough that he could smell the scents that it had picked up along its way over this vast field of flowers that seemed never-ending. He could smell a variety of different scents, belonging to the flowers, the hummingbirds that were drinking nectar from those flowers and Rin's own natural scent. It was the most soothing one out of all of them. In all his life he had never smelled anything so wonderful. She smelled like a beautiful mix of the warmth of summer and the cherry blossoms that would bloom during the spring; a hint of vanilla, milk and honey also enveloped her now fully developed body. She used those three items to bathe in from time to time when they seldom stopped by the castle of the Western Lands, and the fragrances seemed to stay with her no matter how long they would travel for.

Jaken suddenly appeared running towards Rin, screaming that she should not be so carefree when so much horrible things were going on in the world. Sesshomaru watched as Jaken stopped to stare in amazement at the very tall woman. Rin had grown a considerable amount over the past 5 years ever since she began traveling with him again. She reached the very tip of Sesshomaru's nose, no taller no shorter. Her hair had become darker, even raven-like in color. It still had a slight brown tinge to it when light reflected off of it. It was also very long, and flowed down to her knees. The same small pony tail was still there at the right side of her head, only it didn't stick out like that anymore due to its long length. It had been braided and formed into a bow that fell loosely to the side. She wore a long kimono that dragged onto the ground, keeping her feet hidden; and it hugged her tightly around her now fully developed chest and hips, accentuating them and showing her small waist which was rather high. It was made from silk and had all of her favorite colors on it. The main color of the kimono was a smooth tangerine orange with cherry blossoms all over the sleeves and the base in a light rose pink that made its way higher up the kimono, a light peach and white pattern of carnations formed a ribbon-like appearance as they wrapped around the outer edge of its base and at the ends of the sleeves. The smallest hint of French green could be seen as leaves formed themselves on the branches of the cherry blossoms on the kimono. Her under kimono was a French green and underneath that was her slayer suit that could be seen when she lifted her hands over her head as the long flowing sleeves fell over her arms. Her hazel brown eyes seemed to sparkle and shine with warmth and happiness even when her lips were not turned into a smile.

After they had defeated Naraku, Rin had stayed with the old woman named Kaede to be taught by her until she was 16 years old. He would occasionally visit her, bringing her new elegant kimono's made of the finest silk, to see that she was doing well (although he would not admit this to anyone) and to check up on her training of becoming a miko. She had already surpassed both Kaede's and Kagome's expectations in becoming a full fledged miko at the age of 13 and had learned about all kinds of demons and how to make different kinds of healing potions and mixtures from plants & herbs. Sango, the demon slayer, made Rin her apprentice as soon as she turned 14, and she had mastered this as well. Sango had been so proud at how fast she had mastered the art of demon slaying, that she had given her a gift. Sesshomaru did not exactly approve of this gift as he found it rather annoying.

Sango had given her one of Kirara's kittens. Kirara had left one night and had been gone for quite a few weeks. Everyone was absolutely worried about her. When she had finally returned, she came back with a male cat demon that looked just like her except with black fur and white markings and his eyes were yellow. Following behind them came a little trail of what seemed to be 7 different baby cat demons. Sango had told Rin that she could have anyone that she wanted. Rin had picked the smallest one out of all of them. It was white and its fur was more fluffed than a normal cat demons' would be, giving it the appearance of a ball. It had been sleeping at the time as well. Its markings were violet and seemed to form shapes of little flowers around its tiny body. Rin had squealed when its eyes opened to show two bright green orbs staring at her. They faded into a sapphire blue as they reached the center, making it appear metallic.

Sesshomaru watched as the now fully grown cat demon flew down from the sky and landed behind Jaken silently. It then let out a loud roar that made the poor little imp fall face first into the ground, eating flowers and dirt in the process. A large vain appeared on Jaken's head as he watched the cat demon and Rin rolled around in the grass in a fit of laughter. Rin had laughed so hard that she even begun to cry. The little female cat demon transformed into her smaller form and jumped on Rin's tummy, falling asleep instantly. Rin took a deep breath and sat up in the grass, shifting her weight so that the little cat could sleep on her lap. Sesshomaru then closed his eyes and listened as Jaken began shouting.

"RIN!! Just what do you find so amusing!?" shouted Jaken as he stomped his feet up and down, steam seeping out through his ears.

"I'm sorry Master Jaken. Your expression was just so priceless." replied Rin in her now deeper, sultry sounding voice. It still sounded as cheerful as ever and Sesshomaru always seemed to be calmed by it.

"Hmph! You should do well to learn some manners child!"

"If you haven't noticed Master Jaken, I am no longer a child."

"That may be true Rin, but you are nothing but a child in my eyes and in the eyes of our Lord."

"Whatever you say. May I ask you something Master Jaken?"

"What is it?"

"When I was a child, you told me that Lord Sesshomaru was going to have his own empire."

"Yes, what is your point Rin?"

"Do you think that I could be of some assistance to My Lord?"

"Don't be so silly child!! I doubt that Lord Sesshomaru, Ruler of the Western Lands, would want a mere human to help him with his empire!!" shouted Jaken as he shook his fists at his side. "If anything he would choose me to-" He was silenced as Sesshomaru threw a rock at his head, knocking him unconscious for a few seconds. Rin began giggling again but tried to muffle it into the sleeve of her kimono. She watched as Jaken got up, cowering slightly as Sesshomaru walked over to them. He winced as the pain began to take affect as he bowed low onto the ground in front of him. "FORGIVE ME SESSHOMARU-SAMA!!" shouted Jaken at the top of his lungs as he put his hands onto the ground and kept his head bowed in fear for his life. Sesshomaru merely glanced at the imp-like youkai before turning his head towards Rin. Rin smiled brightly at him and said "Yes?" "Rin. We're leaving." stated Sesshomaru as he turned around and walked at his normal pace away from the field of flowers. "Yes My Lord!" exclaimed Rin as she Ran with her arms outstretched from side to side making her way to his side and slowing down to walk at his pace, the cat demon running behind her.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jaken had been left there and he was still in his bowed down form on the ground. He didn't seem to have noticed that Sesshomaru had said they were leaving. Jaken looked up and around to see that he was absolutely alone. The sky had turned a light shade of gray and it seemed as if it was about to rain. "LORD SESSHOMARU!! YOU WOULD ACTUALLY LEAVE YOUR HUMBLE SERVANT ALL ALONE!! YOU UNGRATEFUL DOG!!" shouted Jaken as he got up and dusted the dirt from his chest. He scurried around out of the field of flowers screaming and shouting as his voice took on an annoying whining tone. He walked for about 10 minutes still shouting at the top of his lungs "And to think I served you for so many years! I can't understand it!! LORD SESSHOMARU!! HOW COULD YOU…DO…this…to…me?" he said as he calmed down after seeing Ah-Un raise its head up from the ground. It seemed to have been sleeping and it woke up with all of Jaken's yelling. "MY LORD DOES CARE!!" he exclaimed as his eyes seemed to form tears of joy as he ran over to Ah-Un. Ah-Un stood up with reluctance, being disturbed from its slumber. "Come now Ah-Un!! Find Lord Sesshomaru!!" shouted Jaken as he pulled on the demons reigns. Ah-Un made a growl as it leaped into the sky; zephyr's forming under its feet as it took flight. "_My Lord couldn't have gotten too far. After all, he WAS walking, and with Rin._" thought Jaken as he pulled Ah-Un's reigns again making him turn slightly.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin looked up at Sesshomaru as they walked under a massive forest of cherry blossom trees that were in full bloom. The light pink of the trees formed a nice cool shadow over them, shielding them from the warmth, and a few speckles of light shone through the trees and seemed to dance on the ground whenever the wind would blow. Her hair lifted slightly as she turned her head to look around of surroundings. She recognized this forest. It was the one known as Inuyasha's Forest. In all her life she had never seen the forest as beautiful as it was now. She used her right hand to move away a stray piece of hair from her face as the wind lifted her hair up slightly; this being a habit she had gotten from Sesshomaru as he would do the same thing as well.

He continued to walk ahead, not glancing behind at Rin who had stopped walking. He slowly came to a halt and spoke in his cold voice "Rin." Rin had been thinking about what Jaken had said to her. She wasn't troubled by the fact that Jaken yelled at her for thinking she could help Sesshomaru, she was however troubled that him and her Lord only thought of her as a child. She then looked up to see that Sesshomaru was now glancing back at her out of the corner of his eyes, waiting for a response.

"Yes My Lord?" asked Rin as she walked over to stand next to him.

"Why have you stopped?"

"I'm sorry My Lord. It's nothing. Shall we continue?"

"Rin. Do not lie to this Sesshomaru."

"Yes My Lord. I did not mean to lie. I just didn't want to trouble you with my problems. I was thinking about what Master Jaken said."

"Pay him no heed Rin. We're going."

"Yes. Thank you for your concern my Lord."

"I do not care Rin, I'm just curious as to why you had delayed us by even a few seconds."

"Yes My Lord." replied Rin as she smiled and followed after him. She smiled because she knew that even though he did not admit it, he did care about her, far more than any of them knew. "Come Murasaki." stated Rin as she extended her arm out to let the cat demon jump onto the palm of her hand and crawl up her arm, onto her shoulder.

They were now much closer to Inuyasha's Village as they could smell the aroma of freshly roasted meet coming into the forest. Rin let out a big sigh before taking in the wonderful smell of cooked food other than fish. She had lived off of fish almost her entire life, except for when she lived with Kaede and when they visited Lord Sesshomaru's castle. She was surprised at the different kinds of foods there were since she was so accustomed to eating fish. Licking her lips, she stuck her nose up in the air to try and figure out what they were cooking. Having been so preoccupied in trying to discern the different aroma's, Rin, who was completely unaware that Sesshomaru had stopped walking, walked straight into him. She looked up to see that he was now turned in her direction looking towards the sky. "Ah! I'm sorry Lord Sesshomaru." stated Rin as she backed away and bowed her head. When she realized that he wasn't paying any attention to her, she looked up at the sky as well to see Ah-Un flying towards them. Sitting on top of Ah-Un was Jaken's small form waving frantically and shouting "SESSHOMARU-SAMA!! RIN!!" Ah-Un landed directly in front of Rin and Sesshomaru and nudged both of his heads into Rin's arms as she hugged him. Jaken jumped down from the two headed demon and bowed quickly in front of Sesshomaru.

"Jaken." said Sesshomaru as looked down at the imp-like demon.

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru?"

"You do realize that we could've gotten here much faster, if not for your inability to pay attention."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru."

"If you make us late again, consider your life shortened by 200 years."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru!" squawked Jaken as he quickly pulled on to Ah-Un's reigns while watching Sesshomaru walk off. "Rin. Come." said Sesshomaru as he made his way slowly out of the forest. "Yes My Lord!" exclaimed Rin as she ran off after him.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"Mother!?" shouted a young boy as he made his way running through the village. "MOTHER!? FATHER!?" shouted the boy as he used his demon speed to run faster. The boy looked just like Inuyasha except for the fact that his hair and ears were a jet black like his mother's. His hair was long and went down to his feet but didn't touch the ground. His eyes were golden and he wore a demon rat cloak and hakama just like Inuyasha's except his was dark blue. At his side was a sword that had been made for him by Tōtōsai. It was about the same size as Inuyasha's Tetsusaiga, but the hilt of it was silver and a black ebony stone in the shape of an oval was embedded into the center of the sword.

When he finally found his parents, they were sitting under two large cherry blossom trees that were directly behind their house with his older sister. "What's wrong Yūkan?" asked his sister as she jumped down from Inuyasha's lap and walked over to her brother. He looked up at his sister who was staring at him with big brown eyes much like that of their mothers. She had a look of concern on her face as he silver and black hair fell over her face. Her hair was silver at the very top but faded down into a jet black color as it reached her ankles. A small silver and black tail could be seen peeking out from behind her standing straight up; she did not have dog ears like his or Inuyasha's. She wore a priestess outfit much like that of Kagome's, meaning that she had just finished training with her, and she fidgeted with a piece of grass between her fingers as she waited for her little brother to respond.

"Uncle is here! I caught his scent! He's not very far from here! They are probably in Inuyasha's forest this very minute!" stated Yūkan as he ran with his now excited sister over to their parents. "Keh! So the asshole's here huh?" asked Inuyasha as he folded his arms and stood up, looking down at his two children. "Inuyasha. He's your brother! Didn't you two stop fighting 3 years ago?" stated Kagome as she stood up as well and placed her quiver onto her back. "Doesn't mean he's not an asshole ya know." replied Inuyasha as he walked off without any of them, in the direction of his forest. "Well, come on!" exclaimed Inuyasha as he motioned with his hand for all of them to follow. "I hope Rin is with him!" exclaimed their daughter as she held both Kagome's and Yūkan's hands while she walked in between them. "I doubt Sesshomaru would come here without her, Keimō." replied Kagome as she smiled down at Keimō who was smiling back at her.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin ran as fast as she could as she ran through the remaining trees of the forest to get to Inuyasha's village. She ran into something hard and fell back onto her butt. "You really should pay attention to where you are going ya know Rin." said Inuyasha as he chuckled at the site of her on the ground. He extended out his hand to her as he watched her rub the side of her bottom. "Ouch!" she exclaimed as she grabbed Inuyasha's hand. He pulled her up in one swift motion without any effort at all. Rin grinned from ear to ear as she wrapped her arms around Inuyasha, surprising both him and Sesshomaru as he appeared, walking up behind her with Jaken and Ah-Un. A low growl emitted from Sesshomaru as his eyes concentrated on Inuyasha. When Rin let go of Inuyasha, he said "Nice to see you too asshole!"

"RIN!!" exclaimed Keimō and Yūkan as they ran towards her and hugged her tight around her hips. "Keimō, Yūkan! I've missed the both of you so much!" replied Rin as she hugged them back nearly suffocating them "Where are Suki, Yasashi, Nazo and their parents?" "They will be here a bit later tomorrow Rin. My how you've grown so quickly in 5 years." stated Kagome as she pulled her children away from Rin to hug her "Sesshomaru. Good to see that you've faired well." Sesshomaru glanced at her briefly before averting his eyes and walking pass them out of the forest. "I CAN'T BELIEVE HE'S STILL MAD AT ME!!" shouted Kagome as she held her hands to her sides and balled them into fists as she stomped off in his direction. "Keimō, Yūkan, go get your mother before your uncle loses his temper." Stated Inuyasha as he and Rin walked off after them. Murasaki jumped onto Inuyasha's shoulder and purred as she rubbed her check against his. "Hi Murasaki. We missed you too." Replied Inuyasha as they walked out of the forest.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jaken just stood there in amazement as he watched Kagome shout at Sesshomaru as if he were some kind of lesser demon. He was surprised she still had her life with all the complaining and pointing she was doing. Had it been him in Kagome's place, he would surely be dead. "_Does this human not value her life? She shows no fear at all when talking to My Lord. How astounding._" thought Jaken as he shook his head violently and continued to watch the rather amusing scene in front of him.

"Now you listen Sesshomaru! I don't care if you ARE a Lord! Why won't you forgive me already for that incident? That was over 11 years ago!" exclaimed Kagome with one hand on her hip and the other pointed right at Sesshomaru's nose. Even though he was much taller and could've killed her at any time, she did not fear him in the slightest.

"Miko. You would do well to take your hand from out of my face." replied Sesshomaru as he glared down at her.

"I will not! You aren't the boss of me! I'll do as I please and you can't stop me! Now why won't you forgive me!?"

"I am not, as you say 'the boss of you' but this Sesshomaru will do as HE pleases if you don't remove your hand. As for the incident, you WILL NOT refer to me with that name again. Do I make things clear, miko?"

"Crystal." Replied Kagome as she smiled mischievously and moved out of his way to let him pass. As Sesshomaru walked pass her, with Jaken and Ah-Un following behind him, Kagome suddenly shouted out "LORD ONII-SAN!!" Sesshomaru twitched at the sound of the second name but made no effort for a comeback as he leaned up against a tree that was a good distance away from her.

Kagome burst into fits of laughter and even began crying. She whipped tears from her eyes to see Keimō and Yūkan standing next to her shaking their heads. "Honestly mother. Why do you have to test uncle's patience so?" asked Keimō as she continued to shake her head at her mother's behavior. "Because he deserves it. He's too cold. He needs to loosen up a bit! Don't you agree with me Yūkan?" Yūkan stopped shaking his head briefly to think a bit before shaking his head up and smiling. Kagome smiled down at him and patted his head and said as she walked towards the village "Let's go eat dinner. Kaede cooked a feast today in honor of Rin's birthday." Keimō and Yūkan nodded their heads in agreement.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

They all had finished eating a hardy meal that had all of Rin's favorite foods. There was fried fish, roasted pork that was stuffed inside onigiri, Kagome's 'ninja ramen noodles', Shabushabu, fresh sushi and for dessert, Kagome had brought a giant tiramisu cake with 21 candles in it. Rin would get all of her presents the following day, and now they were all sitting by the fire catching up with each other. Keimō and Yūkan were already asleep since it was midnight.

"So Rin…how have things been?" asked Kagome as she poured some tea for herself, Inuyasha, Rin and Kaede.

"How have ye faired off until now child?" asked Kaede as she sipped some of her tea.

"How have I faired off? I've been fine of course! I'm with Lord Sesshomaru!" exclaimed Rin as she smiled brightly.

"No Rin. They mean, how have you and my brother been? How's the situation looking?" asked Inuyasha as he glanced from Rin to the fire that was in front of them.

"Oh…OH!! NO!! THERE IS NO SITUATION INUYASHA-SAMA!!" exclaimed Rin as her cheeks flushed a bright shade of red.

"That bad huh?" Inuyasha folded his arms.

"Rin, child. Have ye ever thought of telling Lord Sesshomaru of thou feelings?" Kaede sipped her tea again.

"Feelings? What feelings Kaede-Sama? I don't think I know what you're talking about." Rin held her head down and stroked Murasaki's head as she slept in her lap.

"Rin. It's very obvious that you love Sesshomaru. I don't know why you try to hide it." Stated Kagome as she leaned against Inuyasha's shoulder.

"It is?..." Rin replied as she became silent.

"Keh! Rin's smart to hide it. My brother never was one to care about how other's felt ya know!" exclaimed Inuyasha as he wrapped his arm around Kagome.

"Inuyasha. Do ye have no brain under all that silver hair?" stated Kaede as she placed her tea down.

"Yes Inuyasha! Be more considerate of Rin's feelings!!" exclaimed Kagome as she let out a big sigh of disbelief.

"Fine! I guess you'd never think of Sesshomaru as a fatherly figure." Stated Inuyasha as he ran his fingers unknowingly through Kagome's long hair.

"Lord Sesshomaru? A father figure?? YOU HAVE TO BE JOKING INUYASHA-SAMA!!" exclaimed Rin as she burst into laughter. They watched as she fell off of the log she was sitting on and continued to laugh, rolling around, but stopping as she realized she had dropped Murasaki and caught her breath.

"I'll take that as a definite no." giggled Kagome as she laced Inuyasha's fingers with hers "But Rin…I do think you should tell him someday."

"Someday you say Kagome-Sama?" asked Rin as her eyes went extremely wide before going to thin slits like that of Sesshomaru's. Her face became cold and dark as she spoke. "Me, a mere human? To someday tell Lord Sesshomaru of my love for him. I, a mere human you say? And Lord Sesshomaru who despises my kind so much that he doesn't even think we are worth killing? I am lucky enough that he takes care of me and protects me, although I am quite capable of handling myself now. ME? A MERE HUMAN? Ridiculous."

Kagome, Inuyasha and Kaede went wide eyed in absolute shock after hearing her speak exactly like Sesshomaru. "My, my. What a metamorphosis from the happy little girl ye were but only a few seconds ago." Stated Kaede as she brought her cup to her lips to sip the tea that had cooled off somewhat.

"Talk about a personality change! Rin? When did you learn to do that?" exclaimed Kagome as she watched Rin's normal self come back.

"I'm sorry Kagome-Sama. I was just trying to make a point." Replied Rin as she smiled sweetly from ear to ear.

"You don't see how he looks at you Rin. He cares about you." stated Inuyasha as he scratched an ear with his free hand.

"I know he does Inuyasha-Sama. Although I'm quite sure that My Lord will never admit it." Said Rin as she let out a sigh and stroked Murasaki's chin.

"And Jaken really isn't of any help either…" stated Kagome as she rolled her eyes.

"Stupid Master Jaken!!" exclaimed Rin as she made a frown with her face and giggled a bit "I think I will retire for the night. Thank you all so much for the birthday dinner." said Rin as she walked off towards Kagome's and Inuyasha's house. "She certainly has changed." thought Kaede as she watched Rin disappear into the darkness of the night.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Inuyasha walked through the dark forest to clear his head of all the thoughts that had been bothering him and to think about what Rin said. He felt a bit sorry for her knowing that she didn't think she could ever be with his brother. Was Rin right? Would she ever be anything important to Sesshomaru? Inuyasha knew of the talk Sesshomaru had with their father about wanting to protect something important. Did he also have something to protect now? He wondered how his brother felt about Rin and wanted to ask him. He knew it would be difficult getting him to talk but he was determined to make the bastard speak.

When he found Sesshomaru, he was standing in a grassy field covered with a few flowers here and there. He was staring at the moon as usual. This was one thing they had in common; they both liked staring at the moon. The moon was half full and it glowed brighter than usual tonight. He was now standing right next to Sesshomaru. He must've been deep in thought for he would have acknowledged him in some way by now. It was about 10 minutes before Sesshomaru said anything to him.

"What do you want Inuyasha?" asked Sesshomaru as his eyes never left the direction of the moon. His hair lifted up slowly as a light breeze blew pass them.

"Can't I just say hi to my asshole of a brother every once in a while?" asked Inuyasha as he tucked his arms into his kimono and looked up at the moon as well.

"I doubt that you care for your brother that much. What do you want Little Brother? This Sesshomaru will not repeat himself."

"Keh! Alright, alright asshole! How do you feel about Rin?"

"My feelings towards Rin or anyone else for that matter are no concern of yours."

"That's were you're wrong. Rin is like a little sister to me, whether you like it or not."

"I don't care if you think of her as a sister. My feelings for her are still not your concern half-breed."

"Oh? Again with the half-breed thing huh asshole? Rin's not a child anymore if you haven't realized!!"

"This Sesshomaru realizes that Inuyasha."

"Do you have something important to you that you want to protect?"

"This Sesshomaru protects no one! Know your place half-breed." He stated as his brow furrowed slightly, letting Inuyasha know he was becoming annoyed.

"I feel sorry for her. You don't deserve her anymore than she deserves you. She has changed in many other ways besides physically. Rin is a woman now Sesshomaru. Either realize your feelings for her or let her be free."

"Are you implying that this Sesshomaru has feelings for a mere human? You will leave Inuyasha before I give you a reason to do so."

"YES THAT'S WHAT IM IMPLYING BASTARD! You claim you hate humans yet you care for Rin with such compassion that I didn't think you were even capable of possessing. I'll say it again. Rin is a woman now. She has changed. She even has some of your traits because of how close she is to you. You do have someone to protect and it's Rin. You just won't admit it to yourself. You're too selfish." Stated Inuyasha as he turned to leave Sesshomaru to think about what he said. He knew he had affected him some how because he could see the way his eyes changed whenever he had mentioned Rin's name.

Sesshomaru looked up at the moon and whispered "Rin." As if on cue Rin appeared in front of him walking towards him. She was wearing her under kimono that hugged her body even tighter than her kimono did. She had taken off her demon slayer suit and her hair was out completely, including her small ponytail that was her trademark. He watched as she made her way towards him, her hair lifting up slightly as a light wind passed. The moonlight shown down on her making her appear to glow as she stopped to pick up a pink rose. She twirled the stem between her fingers as she stopped directly in front of Sesshomaru. She looked up at him and smiled as she grabbed his clawed hand and placed the flower in it. He looked at the flower briefly before returning his gaze to Rin.

His heart beat increased a small amount and he wondered how a human could have this affect on him. Ridiculous, he thought as he composed himself. He couldn't help but stare at her though; she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen in all his life. Her eyes were wide and bright with no trace of her ever having slept. Her cheeks were a rosy pink and so were her pout-like lips that had been formed into a warm smile. It amazed him, even after all these years; how she was not afraid of him, even when he was in his true form it was as if she didn't realize his change.

"Rin." said Sesshomaru as he looked back up at the moon.

"Yes My Lord?" asked Rin as she looked up at him even though he was not looking back at her.

"Why are you still awake?"

"I couldn't sleep My Lord. I was too excited."

"Rin."

"Yes My Lord?"

"Why did you come out alone?"

"Because I am quite capable of taking care of myself My Lord."

"But you do not have your weapons with you."

"I am a priestess remember Lord Sesshomaru?"

"And if you failed?"

"I know that you would come save me." she smiled up at him and he was now looking down at her, his eyes widened slightly.

"Rin. You are not a child anymore."

"Yes My Lord. I'm glad you've noticed." She replied giggling a bit.

"Why do you stay? Would you not prefer to be with you own kind?"

"You once told me this My Lord. Don't say such silly things." She replied as her face became a bit serious before fading into a smile. Sesshomaru eyes widened considerably at her statement as he thought "_Clever. Using this Sesshomaru's own words against him. That half-breed was right. You have indeed changed Rin._"


	2. Could the Day Get Any Better?

_**Authors Notes:** I do not own any of the characters of Inuyasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. I'd like to thank **Hattaru**, **Sesshomaru420**, **kawaiiitahina123** and **TJcat01** for reviewing the first chapter. I got over 100 hits on just chapter 1!! So I'm happy o Hope you guys like the next chapter!!_

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**Chapter 2**

Rin woke up early the next morning to find that she was the only one awake. She looked around the small room to see that Yūkan and Keimō were no longer in their beds. She sat up and almost screamed when she felt something move on either side of her. Sleeping next to her were Yūkan and Keimō and they both had their arms wrapped around her waist. "_They must've crawled into bed with me sometime this morning._" thought Rin as she slowly eased their small hands away from her. She then picked up Murasaki and moved her in between them as she slowly got out of the bed. Murasaki mewed and opened up one of her eyes looking in Rin's direction. "Shhh. It's alright Mura, I'm just going to go out and stretch my legs for a while. You stay here and sleep." Whispered Rin as she petted the little cat demon on her head to reassure her that she'd be fine. She gathered her slayer outfit and kimono with her in her right arm; her black shoes placed on top of the pile. Two daggers were then strapped to her ankle in case she had to defend herself. Rin watched as Murasaki fell to sleep instantly and slowly made her way out of the house, making sure not to make any noise to wake any of them up.

She slowly slid the door closed behind her. Stepping down on to the cold hard ground, she tiptoed away from the house, making sure not to step on any twigs as she did so. Making her way into the tall grass, she had to stifle her laughter as the grass tickled her toes. The grass was damp from the morning dew and a cold wind blew towards her as she made her way through the tall blades of grass that reached up to her waist. When she was sure that she was far enough away from the house, she broke into a sprint and ran off into the forest.

She missed running around freely like this. It was a much different change from her normal walking pace whenever she travelled with Sesshomaru. Breathing in deeply, she took in the scent of the morning air as she changed direction and jumped over broken branches that were all over the ground. She stopped to catch her breath and listened to her surroundings. She could hear the sounds of birds chirping and just waking up, the sound of the rustling of bushes as a stray deer ran off into the distance and the sound…of rushing water. Water! She closed her eyes and used her miko powers to help her sense which direction the sound was coming from. Walking slowly, she moved through the forest, lifting her feet slightly and moving them in angles so that she would not step on random twigs and a rabbit that had darted out in front of her.

Sesshomaru, who was not far away, was also walking through the forest. He had gotten up rather early as well to see the sunrise; another one of his favorite things to watch besides the moon. He walked through the forest and stopped to listen to the calmness of the morning. There weren't as many noises at this time of the morning and he liked the quiet. Stopping in his tracks, he turned his head to the right to see Rin walking quietly through the forest. If it hadn't been for the light breeze that had blown her sent towards him, he would never have noticed her. Her eyes were closed and she seemed to be maneuvering her way through the trees and over bushes without coming in contact with them in the slightest. He followed her, as he was curious as to where she was going this early in the morning.

Rin broke into a sprint as she finally realized the direction in where there was water. Her eyes were still closed as she ran through the trees as fast as she could with the help of her miko powers and her demon slayer training. She could run faster than any normal human because of those two attributes. Sesshomaru had to walk faster to keep up with her. He had wondered when she had gotten so fast. He side stepped quickly, noticing a dagger being thrown in his direction, hitting a tree behind him. His eyes widened at her ability to tell when she was not alone. She had indeed changed a lot throughout the years. He had yet to see her use her miko powers or demon slayer abilities to defeat any demon while she had been with him for the past 5 years, which proved just how strong she was without them. Slowing down, he continued to follow her at a normal pace for he did not want her to think she was being attacked.

Rin came to a stop at the edge of a large blue lagoon. Its waters were crystal clear and she could see different species of the most beautiful fish she'd ever seen, swimming through its waters. Looking around, she noticed nice bright green patches of grass at the water's edge, and hundreds of Jasmine and Lavender flower bushes surrounding the large lagoon. She looked up to see a massive waterfall above the lagoon, the source of the roaring sound. Gigantic stones seemed to form a wall behind the waterfall and fused into the ground. This place was the kind of place Rin would visit in her dreams, and it looked as if it had not been touched by humans.

Bending down to place her clothes on a small patch of grass, she looked into the water at her reflection. Her eyes were very large and round; hazel in the center surrounding her large black pupils as her iris's then faded into a chocolate brown. Long eyelashes fluttered as she batted her eyes a bit, thick and long and extremely dark making her seem mysterious. Her cheeks were a nice rosy pink, and her pout-like lips smiled back at her; then disappearing as she ran her fingers across the water's surface causing it to ripple. The water reformed to show her long raven hair falling over her shoulders in every direction, giving her a bit of a disheveled appearance. She looked deep into her reflection's eyes as if searching her own soul with questions she didn't have the answers to. Standing up, she slid off her under kimono that she had slept in, and watched as it fell over her shoulders onto the dew covered grass. She bent down to pick it up and placed it next to her clothes, not wanting to dirty it or get it wet.

Sesshomaru found her standing at the edge of the lagoon. She appeared to be naked but her long thick hair covered her body completely out of view. The wind blew slightly, moving her hair away from her legs for a few seconds giving him a view of a brown leather strap that was secured tightly to her ankles, with a dagger attached to it. She walked into the water slowly, adjusting to the coldness of it before finally diving in completely. He kept himself hidden behind a tree, in its shadows where she would not be able to see him. She swam around for awhile before cleaning herself. He tilted his head slightly to see that she was standing up with her back facing him as she began humming to herself. She would often hum this song to herself ever since she began travelling with him again. He listened as she began singing the song aloud.

"_Akaku nijimu taiyou wa subete wo  
Terashite kita ima mo mukashi mo_

_Kono yuuyami ni egaiteru souzou wa  
Hatashite  
Kono te ni oenai mono na no ka?_

_Motto ima ijou ni  
Hadaka ni natte  
Ikite yuku sube oshiete yo  
Hon no sukoshi dake watashi wo yogoshite  
Sou yatte hitori kizutsuitari  
Mawari wo nakushita to shitemo  
Shinjitsu no uta wa kono mune ni nagare_"

Her beautiful voice filled the entire lagoon as she sung that song. She always put her heart into singing this song and he had always wondered why she loved it so much. Her voice always calmed him, especially when she was singing. He then watched as she quickly spun around in his direction which such speed he didn't know she possessed, and threw a dagger in his location cutting off a small lock of his hair. His eyes widened at her ability to sense things so well. "Who's there? I know you've been following me! Show yourself!" she shouted as she looked over her shoulder, waiting for her stalker to come out. All was quiet as a small breeze blew the piece of hair over towards Rin. She watched the small silver lock fly through the air as the wind brought it to her. She caught it in her hand and her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh no…Lord Sesshomaru…" thought Rin as she began trembling at what she did. She fingered the small silver lock of hair between her fingers as she slowly made her way out of the lagoon. "My Lord forgive me! I did not it was you that had followed me here!" exclaimed Rin as she crawled onto the soft grass on her hands and knees; her hair covering her body completely. Rin did not bother to look up as Sesshomaru walked up to stand in front of her. He looked down at her and he could hear her heart beat increase rapidly. She was scared.

"Rin." He said as he looked down at her slightly trembling form.

"I'm sorry My Lord!" exclaimed Rin as she bowed down with her arms spread out straight in front of her, and her face only millimeters away from the grass covered ground.

"Rin. Do not apologize."

"But My Lord I-"

"Enough of that Rin. Stop it!"

"Yes My Lord!"

"Rin. You do not need to apologize to this Sesshomaru."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru." She replied as she watched him turn around and walk off.

"Rin. Hurry and dress."

"Yes." She replied as she watched him disappear out of her sight. She quickly stood back up and put her clothes back on. When she finished tying her white obi around her waist, her heart began thumping hard in her chest. Her cheeks turned a dark red as realization hit her. "_I apologized to Lord Sesshomaru and I was naked…_" she thought as her face flushed even darker and she put her hands to her cheeks. Her mouth dropped and her eyes were now as wide as saucers. "_I was naked…_" she thought again as she squealed.

A loud scream could be heard travelling throughout the forest, scaring all of the birds away, making them fly off into the sky. Sesshomaru turned his head in the direction he had just come from. The scream had come from that direction and he ran towards it thinking only one thing "Rin." When he got to her she was standing there, now fully clothed, shaking her head vigorously and muttering something to herself that he wasn't able to understand. He watched as her face seemed to turn a beet red color before she made a loud high-pitched squeaky sound that he didn't know she was capable of making. He put his hand on her shoulder, causing her to make a loud 'EEEK!' sound as she jumped back. Raising an eyebrow in fascination, he watched as she came back to reality and looked up at him.

"Oh…it's only you My Lord." she stated as her face went back to its normal color.

"Rin. Come." He replied as he watched her cheeks turn pink at the sound of his voice. He turned around and walked back into the forest.

"Yes My Lord." She replied as she ran off after him. She stopped briefly to grab her dagger from out of the tree and ran towards him. They walked for a while in silence as they made their way through the forest. Rin ran off for a moment to grab her other dagger from another tree. She bent down and slid it back into its brown leather strap before catching up with Sesshomaru.

"Rin." He said as he continued to look ahead as they came out of the forest. It was quite bright as the sun had risen quite high. He squinted his eyes a bit as they adjusted to its brightness.

"Yes My Lord?" replied Rin as she tried not to look at him, due to the fact that she had been blushing the entire time.

"This Sesshomaru is curious."

"Curious about what My Lord?"

"As to how you were able to sense me twice. I did not do anything that could have alerted you to my presence."

"I was able to sense you because of my demon slayer abilities. Sango-Sama taught me how to be aware of everything around me. My miko powers also help me a great deal in sensing things as well. I sensed your aura."

"My aura you say?"

"Yes. Every living thing has an aura. They can be brought down into different categories. Plants, animals, humans and demons all have completely different auras. Every living thing has their own individual attribute to their aura that differentiates them from everything else. For example, my aura is yellow and bright like the sun. It's shaped like a cherry blossom petal."

"Interesting."

"Your aura is very complex My Lord. Your aura is silver with specks of gold like that of your eyes. Although it does something I quite don't understand. It changes from silver to dark blue from time to time and yours is shaped like the crescent moon on your forehead. I'd say it's an exact replica of it."

"I see."

"I can also tell how something is feeling from the change in color of something's aura. Yours seems to turn black when you are thinking of something, which is usually most of the time. Like right now. Every living thing's aura changes a certain color when they feel a certain way. When the person/animal/demon is happy then it changes a pale yellow, when sad a stormy gray, when angry a dark red and so on…"

"Rin."

"Ah. Yes My Lord?"

"You have surpassed even this Sesshomaru's expectations."

"Thank you My Lord! I am honored that I've done so." She said as she crossed her arms together in front of her and bowed slightly. She then looked up to see that he had been staring at her. A blush spread across her face as she thought "_My Lord is…staring…at me._" He stepped closer to her and he could hear her heartbeat increase. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the voice of his sister-in-law shouting "RIN! There you are! We were looking all over for you." Kagome looked from Rin to Sesshomaru a few times before saying "Oops. Did I interrupt something?" Rin turned her head as she watched Sesshomaru walk back into the forest before saying "No Kagome-Sama. It's alright."

"Ok Rin. If you say so. There are some people waiting to see you! And you can have your presents now!"

"Oh wonderful! I can't wait to see them Kagome-Sama!"

"Come now. Let's hurry back. You should be hungry."

"Oh yes. I'm famished!" she exclaimed as she walked next to Kagome as they made their way back to the village. Looking over her shoulder, she inwardly sighed and wondered what it was that almost happened between her and her lord.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"RIN!! HOW WONDERFUL TO SEE YOU AGAIN!!" exclaimed two young girls as they ran from their house towards Rin, embracing her in a tight, almost suffocating hug. "It's great to see you both as well, Suki, Yasashi!" replied Rin as she hugged each of them with the same amount of force. She looked them over as they let her go. They had changed a great deal over the past 6 years. They were now the same height as her and their hair was knee-length and a dark brown like that of their mothers'. The last time she saw them, they only reached her at her waist and their hair was only shoulder-length; but now they had both developed very fast and seemed as if they were already finished growing. Four large dark coffee brown colored eyes stared back at her as she smiled at them. They were both wearing the same kimono except Suki's was in a light powder blue and Yasashi's was in a light rose pink. Patterns of sunflowers adorned the waist of both kimonos and spread out in a scattered-like explosion type fashion. Pearl white obis were wrapped tightly around their waists in an Anesan bow. Their hair was held together at the very ends with a small ribbon that was the same color of their Kimonos.

"Where are Nazo and Shippo?"asked Rin as she looked around the area. "We're right here Rin-chan!" replied a deep voice that came from inside Suki's and Yasashi's house. Rin grinned from ear to her as she darted towards the house and embraced the owner of the deep voice. She let him go to look at him. Standing in front of her was a man who was one year younger than her and a little 13 year old boy who was the younger brother of the twins. "Shippo, Nazo! I've missed the both of you so much!" exclaimed Rin as she now hugged Nazo. Shippo had indeed changed a great deal within the small amount of time. His large green jewel-like eyes stared down at her and he smiled showing his fangs. His light orange hair had gotten quite long and was still in a ponytail. Moving in random motions behind him was his fluffy tail. He wore a light blue kimono with patterns of white feathers all over it. His hakama was a dark blue and so was his obi. Over that he wore light brown furry jacket. Nazo looked like a smaller version of his father and now reached Rin right under her chin even though he was only 13. He wore an outfit much like Miroku's except it was black instead of a dark purple. His hair was jet black and it was shoulder-length, unlike Miroku's short hair. Dark mud brown eyes stared back at her with warmth and happiness.

"Happy belated birthday Rin!" exclaimed Nazo and Shippo simultaneously as they both pulled a present from behind their backs. Rin's eyes widened as she stares at the two beautifully wrapped boxes. They were both wrapped in a crinkly gold kind of paper and had green bows wrapped around them. "Come on Rin! Open them!" shouted Nazo as both he and Shippo handed her their gifts. Rin took Nazo's first. She undid the bow and opened the box to reveal two twin bracelets made from jade. They both had small intricate designs of cherry blossoms engraved into them in a metallic pink. "Oh Nazo! I love them, thank you!!" she exclaimed as she put them on her right wrist and embraced him. She then took the other box from Shippo and opened it to find a dagger with a blue blade and rubies embedded into its handle in a circular pattern. "Shippo…I couldn't accept this. It looks so expensive." replied Rin as her eye's widened in amazement. "No Rin, keep it. I bought it especially for you. Don't let it go to waste." Stated Shippo as he smiled brightly and hugged her. Rin nodded her head reluctantly as she lifted up the side of her kimono to place her new dagger by her thigh.

Suki and Yasashi walked up behind her and grabbed onto her arms as they began pulling her backwards. "Come on guys! Everyone is waiting to give Rin her presents!" "Alright Suki. Come on Nazo." Replied Shippo as he walked off after them. "Coming Shippo-kun!" said Nazo as he followed him. Rin began to stumble as they pulled her over rocks and some large branches. "Ok guys! You can stop pulling me now!!" she exclaimed as she kicked her feet and waved her arms frantically.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"That stupid girl! She's stopping us from continuing on our journey! Honestly! What is my Lord thinking!? Letting Rin do whatever she wants! Why I swear! If I was ever in Lord Sesshomaru's place I'd-" squawked Jaken as he stomped his feet up and down but was interrupted by Sesshomaru saying "Jaken." Jaken's body froze at the sound of his Lord's irritated voice. He slowly turned around and bowed down quickly as he stuttered "L-l-l-l-lord S-s-s-sesshom-m-maru! Y-y-you c-c-came back!!" He slowly looked up to see Sesshomaru staring down at him; anger clearly evident on his face. Quickly, he plunged his face and upper body flat onto the ground in an attempt to beg for forgiveness.

"Jaken." Said Sesshomaru in the coldest voice Jaken had ever heard him speak in.

"Y-y-y-yes M-m-my L-l-lord." Replied Jaken as he slowly looked up to see a smile on Sesshomaru's face that made him cower in horror.

"You would do what if you were in my place, Jaken?"

"N-n-n-nothing My Lord."

"Jaken!"

"I would n-n-not let Rin d-d-delay us anymore t-t-t-than she already h-has My Lord!"

"Know your place Jaken." He stated as he picked up the Staff of Two Heads and pinned Jaken down on the ground with it as he attempted to look up from the ground.

"My Lord…mphmph….Please!!...mphgh…Forgive me!!...mphmph…"

"Do well to remember that I could kill you at anytime!"

"Yes!...mphgh…My Lord!...mphmph…Please forgive…mph…me!!" he replied through muffles as his face hit the ground from the thrusts of the staff towards his head.

"We will discuss this later, Jaken. If you're still alive that is." He stated as he dropped the staff on top of the imp-like demon that was now covered in bruises, and walked off. "_I think I've just shortened my life by 400 years!_" thought Jaken as he slowly stood up from the ground, wincing in pain as he watched Sesshomaru walk off into the forest once again.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin had been blindfolded with a white silk cloth and was being led somewhere. She had been walking for a while and felt like Suki and Yasashi had been taking her around and around in circles. She could hear the chirping of birds and few rustling sounds. Even though the blindfold was on, she could see the changes from light to dark and then to light again. "Ok, Rin. You can take it off now." stated Yasashi as they came to a stop. Rin removed her blindfold to see that she was standing in front of the Bone Eater's Well and that Kagome, Inuyasha, Keimō, Yūkan, Miroku, Sango and Tōtōsai were sitting on a picnic blanket. They all seemed to be hiding things behind their backs. She looked a little further to the left to see that Murasaki was rolling around in the grass and chasing butterflies; further off into the distance under the trees, she could see Sesshomaru sitting in the grass, leaning against a tree.

She watched her Lord as he sat peacefully under the cherry blossom trees; his eyes closed making him appear to be deep in thought. Random petals fell on to the ground and onto his hair giving him sort of a kind appearance. Her cheeks began to feel heated and changed a tinge of red as she stared at him. Her heart was beating so loud and she could swear that he must be able to hear it somehow even though he was nowhere near her. He opened his eyes and turned his head to look in her direction. She quickly turned her head away from him after seeing this and brought her attention back to her friends in front of her.

"Rin! It's so wonderful to see you again! You've changed so much!" exclaimed Sango as she patted a space next to her for Rin to sit down. "I'm happy to see you again as well Sango-Sama. And you too of course Miroku-Sama." replied Rin as she sat down next to Sango. "Likewise Rin-chan." stated Miroku as he smiled over at her "You certainly are not a child anymore." Sango turned her head towards Miroku; her eyes wide and a vain throbbing in her head. "My dear Sango, I mean no harm. Did you not say the same thing?" stated Miroku as he rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand. Sango rolled her eyes as she said "Here Rin. Open mine first." Rin smiled and giggled a bit as she took the fairly large bag from Sango. The bag was peach and seemed to be made from some kind of material Rin had never seen before. It had hidden compartments all over it and it looked fairly similar to the backpack Kagome always carried around, only a bit smaller. "Go on. Look inside." stated Sango as she watched Rin's eyes widen in amazement. She looked inside the bag to find different sized bottles of the things Kagome had called shampoo and conditioner. They had the words 'Milk, Vanilla and Honeycomb Paradise' written across them in a light blue writing. "OH SANGO! I love it so much! I love everything! Thank you!" exclaimed Rin as she placed the bag down and embraced Sango around her shoulders. "Don't mention it." replied Sango as she smiled and hugged Rin back while running her fingers through her hair.

"Open mine next Rin-chan." stated Miroku as he handed her a long looking box to Rin. Rin's eyes widened at the slight heaviness of the box he had given her. She opened it quickly to find a pair of ebony colored Nunchaku's. They were a bit larger than normal and had two thick silver and white stripes going across the middle. She ran her fingers across their surface and seemed to be at a loss for words. "Rin. Do you not like it?" asked Miroku with a look of confusion on his face. "Oh no! I was just in a state of shock. I love them Miroku! Thank you!" exclaimed Rin as she leaned over Sango to hug Miroku.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Kohaku wanted me to give this to you. He couldn't come because he had to go exterminate some demons in a village a few miles away from here." Said Sango as she pulled a small box from out of her kimono and handed it to Rin. The box was round and seemed to be made from a blue colored porcelain with green markings on it's cover. She pulled off the top to see light violet, rose scented lip balm inside. She smiled as she put her pinky into it and applies some to her lips. "Remember to thank him for me. He always knew I liked small things." stated Rin as she placed the box into her new bag.

Kagome stood up and rushed over to sit in front of Rin as she stuck her tongue out at Inuyasha and her children. "Now open mine Rin-chan! I'm sure you'll love it!" exclaimed Kagome as she handed Rin a small box and clasped her hands together in anticipation. Rin opened the box to see another strange looking box with a screen on it. She turned it over to look at the back and saw the word 'iPod' written there. It was the same as the one Kagome had and she used it to listen to music. Even though Rin knew what it was, it still amazed her every time she saw it. Rin unwrapped the little headphones from around her new gift and placed them into her ears. She already knew how to use it because Kagome had showed her how to many times. She smiled as she heard the music flow out of the headphones and into her ears. It was her favorite song. "I put all of your favorite songs on there Rin. I didn't realize how many you liked until I was done. You seem to like a lot of the same thing so I put some extras on there that I'm sure you'll like. There are about 2000 songs in all." Stated Kagome as she giggled at Rin's expression after hearing her say how many songs were on it. "2000 songs! I don't understand how so many people's voices and sounds of instruments can be trapped into this small box!" exclaimed Rin as her eyes widened as she stared down at her new iPod. "You'll get used to it Rin. Come on Inuyasha, Keimō, Yūkan! Give Rin her gift." snapped Kagome as she watched Inuyasha and her children walk over to sit next to her and in front of Rin.

"Here Rin! This is from all of us." Said Yūkan as he took a box from his father and handed it to Rin. Rin placed her iPod into her new bag and then opened the large box to find a coat-like kimono folded about three times. She picked it up and held it against her body to admire its silky feel and beautiful colors. It was black with patterns of cherry blossom petals all over the base of the kimono and its sleeves in pearl white, lilac, rose pink and violet. It had a hood which was quite unusual and the hood, along with the sleeves, had white fur coming from the edges. "Wow. Does everyone know how much I love cherry blossoms." said Rin jokingly as she folded it and stuffed it into a large compartment of her new bag "Thank you Inuyasha-Sama, Keimō, Yūkan. I love it! I'll be sure to wear it whenever it gets cold and it'll remind me of all of you." "Keh! Well just don't lose it! It took us forever to find that thing." replied Inuyasha as he turned his head slightly trying not to blush.

Rin looked up after noticing that she had been overshadowed by someone. She smiled brightly and stood up to face the person. "Hello Tōtōsai-Sama! I hope you've faired well." said Rin as she embraced the old demon. "Yes Rin, I see you've grown up into a fine woman indeed! You wouldn't still happen to be traveling with that cold mongrel would you?" asked Tōtōsai as he looked Rin over to see how much she had grown. "Ah Tōtōsai. I see you have yet to retire." stated Sesshomaru as he walked over to them at his usual steady pace. Tōtōsai twitched slightly as he heard Sesshomaru's voice. "Tell me. Do you also have a gift for Rin?" asked Sesshomaru as he stood near the blanket that they were all sitting on. "If you'd stop talking then you'd find out you mongrel!" exclaimed Tōtōsai as he stomped a foot hard on the ground. Sesshomaru glared over at Tōtōsai, causing him to gulp and hide behind Rin. Rin and Kagome's mouths twitched at the corner and two large water droplets could be seen at the sides of their faces. "Umm…Tōtōsai-Sama…Are you perhaps a bit…umm…senile?" asked Rin as she tilted her head to the side in a state of shock and confusion. "Never mind that Rin. Look here." Replied Tōtōsai as he pulled a weapon from out of the sleeve of his kimono.

"That there is a new weapon I've been working on especially for you. It's a solid iron war fan." stated Tōtōsai as he handed the extremely long, black iron fan to Rin. "A War fan? But Tōtōsai-Sama, isn't this just an oversized katana?" asked Rin as she looked at the shape of the War fan. It could have indeed been mistaken as an over-sized katana. Tōtōsai took it from her for a minute and flashed it to reveal more black blades of the same size and length, fanning out into a giant fan. Her eye's and everyone else's widened as they stared at the fan. It was extremely dangerous, yet magnificently beautiful. On either side of the fan were elegant pictures of a cherry blossom scene. On one side it was morning and you could see the sun above the trees in a fire-like appearance, and on the other side it was night and you could see the moon in a crescent shape over the trees. He closed it before handing it back to Rin. "Now you open it Rin. I suspect something interesting should happen. I suggest that we all move back a few steps." stated Tōtōsai as he and everyone else stepped back.

Rin looked a bit confused at Tōtōsai's statement, but opened the war fan like she was instructed to do. An aqua colored outline of a circle appeared beneath her feet and grew until it was 4 feet away and she stood directly in the center. Lines moved through the circles center over and over creating an amazing design. It finally came to a stop as it erected a barrier around itself. Rin attempted to move but found that she was not able to. The lines began glowing and so did the barrier as Rin started to hover over her spot on the ground. Her eyes looked around her and she shouted "Tōtōsai-Sama! What's happening to me!?" Before he could answer her, a jolt of electricity came from out of her war fan, going into her and then into the dome she was in. She screamed out in agony as her body seemed to be electrocuted by the force from within her weapon. Her eyes rolled back turning white as she continued to scream. Sesshomaru's eyes widened and he felt helpless as he watched Rin suffer. He attempted to go into the dome that was currently housing Rin but was electrocuted by a strong volt of electricity. "Bastard! What have you done!?" exclaimed Inuyasha as he continuously tried to use his red Tetsusaiga to break the dome's barrier. "Do you have any last words before I kill you Tōtōsai?" asked Sesshomaru as he gripped Tōtōsai by the throat; his eyes growing red with anger. "W-w-wait!! Look!" shouted Tōtōsai as he tried to loosen Sesshomaru's grip on his throat.

They all turned their heads to look at the dome. It began to shatter into the air, creating a shimmery atmosphere around them. Rin still hovered over the ground and her war fan hovered in front of her. She then opened her eyes as blood tears ran down the sides of her cheeks. "Ses…sho…maru...Sa…ma…" she barely managed to say as eh fainted and fell down. Sesshomaru caught her in a matter of seconds before she hit the hard ground. She was still alive, only unconscious. Everyone gathered around Rin and Sesshomaru and looked down at her limp form that was resting on Sesshomaru's right arm. "Sesshomaru look!" exclaimed Inuyasha as he pointed to Rin. Violet markings coiled themselves around her neck and wrists, giving the impression of a necklace with matching bracelets. "Tōtōsai, would you mind explaining what happened to Rin?" asked Kagome as she sat down in front of Sesshomaru to look at Rin closer. Rin felt a soft pressure on her cheek and if not for her senses she probably wouldn't have noticed it. She opened her eyes to see Sesshomaru and everyone else staring at her with worried looks on their faces. "Sesshomaru-Sama…what happened?" asked Rin as she brought her hand to her face and looked at it to see her own blood.

"I will answer that question My Lady." replied the deep voice of a woman which seemed to come from all around. "Who said that?" asked Sango as she and everyone else looked around. "It is I, Sumire the war fan that has spoken." replied the fan that was being clutched tightly in Rin's right hand. She had never released it and had forgotten about it completely. "Explain what you have done to Rin." stated Inuyasha as he became irritated. "Fine. But only because My Lady has asked me to do so." replied the war fan as it vibrated a bit as it spoke "The dome you just saw a while ago was me binding with My Lady. It is a sort of contract if you will." "A contract you say." replied Sesshomaru as he looked down at the war fan in Rin's hand. "Yes. A contract that binds me to My Lady forever. When she dies then I will be rendered useless until I get a new master. If however, she decides she does not have anymore use for me and gives me to someone else, then that person will be my new master after my contract with My Lady is broken. The markings that you see on her wrists and neck are proof of this contract and allows me to give her my powers. Because I am a war fan with demonic powers, she will live as long as my life extends for. Not the remainder of my life, but for how long I have lived up until now and thereafter." stated Sumire as it stopped vibrating.

"How long will I be able to live for?" asked Rin as she gripped the handle of her fan tighter.

"Well…I can only tell you that I have lived for 700 years. I do not expect to be destroyed anytime soon My Lady. May I have your name My Lady?" replied the fan as it vibrated again.

"My name's Rin."

"Rin-Sama then. It is an honor to serve you My Lady. I have not been owned by a human for 500 years. I have forgotten what it's like."

"I'll live for 700 years…"

"And more than that Rin-Sama."

"Sugoi…"

"Is there anything else I should explain to you My Lady?"

"No Sumire. I would like to know about my powers but I'll wait to find out for myself."

"Very well Rin-Sama."

"Thank you Sumire."

"For what My Lady?"

"For making my day. I don't think it could possibly get any better than this." She exclaimed with a bright smile on her face that made all of them laugh.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jaken's eyes widened as he floated through the air in circles. He moved up and down, left to right, over and over again in the same pattern. "What is this!? Some kind of sorcery!!" exclaimed Jaken as his legs and hands waved frantically in the air looking like they were about to fall off "Who dares to do this to me!? Don't you know who I am!? I am the humble servant of Lord Sesshomaru!! You will pay for this you imbecile!!" Sesshomaru and Rin walked up to Jaken and just stared down at him. He raised an eyebrow, slightly amused at the predicament Jaken was in. Rin had to stifle her laughter in the sleeve of her kimono; she had her war fan opened up in her left hand. "Jaken. We're going." said Sesshomaru as he walked off, leaving the little imp-like demon floating and spinning in the air. "Rin. Come." "Yes My Lord!" replied Rin as she ran off after him. "But MY LORD!! I've been put under some strange spell!!" shouted Jaken as he tried with all his might to get back down on the ground, but to no avail. "Rin. Enough of that." stated Sesshomaru as he continued to walk ahead. "Yes My Lord. Oh well…so much for my fun." replied Rin as she closed her fan ending Jaken's hovering spinning state, and placed it through a hoop in her backpack. "RIN!! Why you ungrateful child! You need to-" shouted Jaken as he pulled Ah-Un's reigns but he stopped after getting a cold glare from Sesshomaru. Rin tilted her head in confusion as to why Jaken had stopped in the middle of his bantering.

"Rin." Said Sesshomaru as he brought Rin out of her thoughts.

"Yes My Lord." Replied Rin as she unconsciously twirled a lock of her hair.

"This Sesshomaru is curious."

"Oh. To how I did that to Jaken? Well Sumire told me she'd show me one of my powers she's giving to me. So I just did what she told me to do."

"I see."

"My Lord. I think we're leaving Jaken behind."

"That is of no concern to me Rin."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru."

"Rin."

"Yes?" She replied as she watched him pull out a silver necklace from inside the sleeve of his kimono. "Turn around." He instructed as he moved his arms over her head, brushing against her cheek slightly as he clasped the necklace together. Rin blushed at the smallest amount of contact she had with him, even if it had been for only a few seconds. She looked down at the necklace that was now hanging around her neck. Thin silver chains were joined together until they met at a large black marble pendant. It immediately changed color after touching her. Her eyes widened as it changed to the same color of her aura. It was a bright pink, which meant she was…in-love. After seeing this, she was indeed happy that she hadn't told Sesshomaru about all the colors and which emotion they belonged with.

"My Lord…this is…" she started to say but her words trailed off as she stopped walking and looked up at Sesshomaru.

"It's an aura stone. It changes its color with the emotions of its owner."

"My Lord…Thank you so much."

"Rin. Come."

"Yes Lord Sesshomaru. Coming!" she exclaimed as she ran towards him. "_Thank you My Lord. If I knew how you truly felt…I'd kiss you…_" she thought as she looked over at Sesshomaru while she walked next to him. "_Happy Birthday…Rin…_" thought Sesshomaru as he reached up to his neck and wrapped his hands around a necklace similar to Rin's.


	3. Strange Feelings

_**Authors Notes:** I do not own any of the characters of Inuyasha. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi. Lots of thanks to **TJcat01**, **peckforever**, **Hattaru**, **kawaiitahina123** and **Cherie Marie** for their reviews!! Hope you guys and all my other viewers enjoy this chapter just as much as you enjoyed the others ! Thanks for reading!!  
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**Chapter 3**

It was getting late and Sesshomaru had decided that they stop for the night. The place they were making camp in was absolutely beautiful. The trees that were in full bloom seemed to encircle a large area, creating an arc in, a chain-like pattern. Rin lay back on the grass with Murasaki on her tummy as she listened to soft howl of the wind pass by. She reached up and wrapped her hand around the aura stone that lay on her chest. Turning her head slightly, she noticed that Sesshomaru was sitting down a few feet away from her with his eyes closed as usual. Her heart beat increased and her cheeks flushed a bright red as she tightened her grip on the stone. "_Lord Sesshomaru…_" she thought as she continued to stare at his beautiful form. His hair floated slightly and seemed to shimmer under the soft moonlight. He opened his eyes and seemed to be staring off into the distance for a while before turning his head to look at Rin who blushed an even deeper shade as he did this. "My Lord…is staring at me again…" thought Rin as she prepared to sit up and go over to him. Just as she was about to stand, she heard Jaken yelling at her.

"RIN!!" shouted Jaken as his voice reached another octave.

"Yes…Master Jaken?" asked Rin as she sighed after looking back at her Lord, and realizing that he was gone.

"Rin! I've been calling you for the longest while now!"

"What is it Master Jaken?"

If you want to eat then remember to go and find something."

"Oh…right! I almost forgot about food…" she stated as she heard her stomach rumble.

"You almost forgot! Well it will be your own fault if you starve Rin."

"I know, I know…I'll go catch 'our' dinner Master Jaken. Without me you wouldn't be able to eat either." She replied with a mischievous grin on her face as she got up to go look for a nearby stream. "Come on Mura. Let's go catch some fish for mean ol' Master Jaken." Murasaki mewed and ran after her, jumping and landing on her shoulder. Jaken sat there near the fire he had just made. A water droplet appeared at the side of his face as he watched Rin go off into the field. "_That child has certainly changed…_" thought Jaken as he looked back at the fire.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin made her way through the other side of the field to find a river that seemed to head up into the mountains. She took off her shoes and her kimono and placed them together on a large clean boulder that was a few feet away from her. She then rolled up her the sleeves of her under kimono so that they wouldn't get wet while she tried to catch fish. After undoing her obi, she folded the bottom of her under kimono very high so it fell right onto her thighs and she re-tied her obi so that it wouldn't get lose. She still wore her demon slayer outfit because it would dry quickly after getting wet due to its elastic kind of material. Murasaki transformed into her larger state as she watched Rin place her Nunchaku's at the side of her obi and left her war fan with her kimono and her shoes.

She then jumped into the River first and let out a loud squeal as the cold water rushed past her legs. Murasaki then jumped in next to her, splashing her in the process. "Hey!! That's cold Mura!" exclaimed Rin as she giggled a bit and splashed Murasaki back. They were splashing each other like that for a while as they ran further up the river. Rin then slipped slightly but caught her balance again before she fell into the river. "Whoa! That was close!" She exclaimed, as she crouched down slightly and waited for a fish to swim by. "Come on Mura! That's enough playing! Help me out!" Murasaki mewed in agreement as she began pouncing on random fish that would swim by. The little cat demon caught three on her first try and jumped out of the water to lay them down on the grass; she then jumped back into the river and waited to catch some more fish.

This time it was Rin who caught some fish. She caught three fish as well and walked through the water to put them on the grass. "Come on Mura. We don't need any more fish." She said as she watched Murasaki bring four more fish onto the grass. Rin then sat down and began gutting the fish and Murasaki watched her in fascination. When she was done, she strung them all together with some wax string hidden in a shoulder pad of her demon slayer outfit. "Come on Mura. Let's go back down stream." Said Rin as she got up and began walking along the side of the river. As she walked, she began thinking of her Lord. "_Sesshomaru-Sama…where have you gone to? Your eyes seem as if they are calling to me but I can never reach you…Oh My Lord…how I wish to one day be with you…_" thought Rin as her thoughts were then interrupted by a low growling sound that came from in front of her. She looked up in front of her to see that they had gotten back to the area near the river where she had left her kimono, shoes and war fan. She then noticed that three human-like demons stood around the rock she had left her things on and two of them each had one of her items in their hands.

"What is this? This isn't food." stated one of the human-like demons as he sniffed Rin's shoes. This one had black scaly skin, long gray hair and yellow eyes. Its ears were very pointed and it had two large yellow horns coming out the side of its head. It wore a white kimono that looked very ragged and dirty. "That's very obvious you fool. All of these items are worthless and they reek of a human." Stated the other demon, as he tossed Rin's kimono back on the boulder. He looked just like the other one except that his skin was a dull green. Rin felt herself getting extremely annoyed as he watched the three demons continue to talk about how worthless her things were. "The only thing that seems like it has any value at all is this over-sized katana. And this doesn't even look all that great." Stated the third demon as he tried to pick up her war fan. He looked like the other two demons as well except that his skin was blood red, and he had no horns at the side of his head. A spark of electricity zapped his hand at his attempt to pick it up. "Damn thing. It must be some kind of spell." Said the demon with the green skin as he then tried to pick up the war fan, only to be shocked by a stronger volt of electricity "Why do you reject us you accursed katana!?"

"It rejects you because it doesn't like being handled by lesser demons such as yourselves." Replied Rin as her and Murasaki walked towards them, making themselves known "It is not a katana." All three of the demons stared at Rin for a while before bursting into laughter. "And how would a human like you, and a woman at that, know that it's choosy about its owner and that it's not a katana?" asked the black skinned demon as he let out a strong hard laugh. "Well you all have a keen sense of smell. You tell me." Replied Rin as she raised an eyebrow mischievously. "You mean to tell us that a pathetic human like you, owns a demon katana like this?" asked the red skinned demon as he eyed her up and down after sniffing the air around her. "Yes. I own the weapon. It is not a katana. May I have my kimono and my shoes back? I don't want any trouble." Replied Rin as she stepped a bit closer to them. "How interesting. Tell us woman, what will you do if we don't return them to you?" asked the green skinned demon as he licked his lips while staring at Rin's fully developed chest. "You will know the sweet taste of death." Replied Rin in a dark deep voice with an evil smile plastered across her face; her eyes showed her murderous intent and the demons actually shivered after seeing it.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"What could possibly be taking that girl so long!?" squealed Jaken as he paced back and forth through the grass. He would never admit it to himself, but he worried about her. "If something ever happens to her, Lord Sesshomaru will have my head!" he thought as he began walking around in circles around the blazing fire. He looked up at the sky; it had gotten quite dark already and the moon was high in the sky. He then let out strange odd noises as he imagined what his Lord would do to him if anything happened to Rin. "I guess I should go look for her before My Lord comes back." Said Jaken to himself, as he headed towards the large field of grass, only to be stopped by Sesshomaru's cold monotonous voice.

"Jaken."

"Yes, My Lord?" replied Jaken as he slowly turned around to see Sesshomaru standing behind him a few feet away.

"Where is Rin?"

"Well…My Lord…that is…well…you see…"

"Jaken!"

"I told her to go get dinner if she didn't want to starve! But that was a long time ago my Lord. I don't understand why she has yet to come back." He replied as he bowed down on to the ground "Don't worry My Lord! I will find Rin!! Even if it sends me to the ends of the earth! I assure you I will…My Lord! WAIT!!" He turned around to see that Sesshomaru was already near the other end of the field of grass which was quite far away. It always amazed Jaken how his Lord could walk so slowly, but get from one place to another so quickly.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"How about we make a trade woman?" asked the green skinned demon as he appeared behind Rin. Rin looked at the demon out of the corner of her eye as she made sure to keep up her guard in case the other two would attack. "A trade?" asked Rin as she turned around to face the green demon while Murasaki let out a warning growl to the other two. "Yes woman. How about giving us your body in exchange for your items." Replied the green demon as it appeared it quickly moved up to her and licked her cheek with his tongue as he attempted to grab her butt. He jerked away quickly after having his tongue sliced off partially by a hidden dagger that Rin had in the sleeve of her demon slayer outfit. "I refuse. You will do well to keep your claws and that disgusting tongue of yours off of me." Replied Rin as she then prepared to attack again. "Wench!!" shouted the green demon as he went charging towards her only to be whipped across the chest with her Nunchaku's at such lightening speed that he almost missed it. He fell to the ground on his knees but got up quickly and tried to attack her again; this time getting two blows to his head which knocked off both of his horns, causing him to scream out in agony. "Insolence." Stated Rin as she unsheathed the large dagger that Shippo had given her from under her thigh, and stabbed it into the demons back, ending his life quickly.

"Brother!! You will pay for his death woman!" shouted the black demon as he pulled out a large sword that had been hanging on his back. Rin stood there doing absolutely nothing as she watched the black demon run towards her. Murasaki jumped in front of Rin and took the demon into her mouth, biting him over and over. You could hear his bones crack as she finished and dropped him to the ground. "That's a good Mura! You get can have one of that nasty ol' Master Jaken's fish. Cuz Master Jaken is little and you're a growing girl! Aren't you Mura?" squealed Rin as she wrapped her arms around the cat demons neck and rubbed her cheek to Murasaki's own. A strange muffled groan could be heard from the black demon as his leg twitched slightly, indicating he wasn't dead. "Aww…Mura. Look's like the fools not dead." Said Rin as she walked over to the demons bloody body. She then took out her Nunchaku's and wrapped the chain part around his neck as she said "You know, if you had stayed quiet, you might've had a chance to live…I knew you weren't dead. But you are now…oh well." Rin pulled the metal bars over his neck in opposite directions and twisted quickly, snapping his neck and killing him instantly.

Rin then stood up and walked over to the boulder where her fan was. She picked it up and fanned it out with one hand. Although it was extremely heavy, weighing almost 300 pounds, she picked it up with little to no effort at all. It had taken those other two demons the slightest amount of their energy to just lift it off of the rock, but yet she held it and waved it around like it was a paper fan. "Oh…I almost forgot about you. Do you wish to die also?" asked Rin as she looked into her fan to see the reflection of the red skinned demon behind her. "No My Lady…I beg you to spare me…" replied the red demon as he bowed slightly and waited like a servant to be dismissed. "Good choice." Said Rin as she walked towards the demon; stepping over the body of the green demon in the process. "Leave quickly before I change my mind." The demon nodded and sprinted off alongside the river.

When Sesshomaru got to Rin, his eyes widened in disbelief at the scene in front of him. Rin was sitting on top of a white boulder with her feet rested on top of two demon bodies that had been piled on top of each other. She was absolutely clean which was a great contrast to the land around her. Blood covered the once green covered ground and a few body parts of the black demon had been scattered around the place; blood speckled the white boulder at its base and Rin sat on top of it twirling a flower between her fingers while Murasaki sat on her lap quietly getting her ears rubbed. Lying next to her on the boulder were the fish on her left, and her kimono and war fan on her right. She had already put her shoes back on. It did not seem like Rin noticed him but as he opened his mouth to speak, she spoke instead.

"Sesshomaru-Sama. I see you have come for me."

"Rin. You did this I presume." Stated Sesshomaru more than asked as he walked up to her.

"Yes My Lord. Those demons were quite annoying. They wanted to take my kimono, my shoes and my war fan, and they actually thought they could trade it for my body! Those fools! Their insolence was unbelievable!!"

"I see." He replied slightly amused as she used the same words he did.

"Oh. I'm sorry if I worried you My Lord."

"Rin. Do not apologize to this Sesshomaru."

"Yes My Lord. I forgot."

"Rin." He said as he walked up to her and placed his hand against her cheek.

"Yes?" She asked as she leaned into his touch as her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink; her heart beat faster with each second. Rin then raised her hand and held his hand that was on her cheek in between her hands, and then pressed them against her cheek as she continued to stare into his eyes. "Rin. Come." He said as he pulled his hand away and turned around to walk off. "Yes…My Lord…" she replied as she stood up, put her kimono back on, grabbed the fish in one hand and her war fan in the other as she followed after him.

Rin then looked up to see her Lord staring at her with a murderous intent in his eyes. "Sesshomaru...Sama?" asked Rin as her eyes widened in terror as she watched his green whip of light appear in his right hand as he whipped it and aimed in her direction. "My Lord!?" exclaimed Rin as she covered her face with her hands, preparing to be struck down by his whip of light. A blood curdling scream then echoed throughout the entire area as the whip hit its target. There was silence as the wind drifted by, blowing dead leaves across the area where they stood. Murasaki's eyes widened in terror as she let out a loud, warning growl. Rin gulped as she felt her heart jump into her throat. She slowly turned her head around to see that the green demon from before had not died. Her eyes widened in terror as she hid behind Sesshomaru who was now standing next to her. He had his whip wrapped around the neck of the demon and would kill it at any second.

"Insolent fool." Stated Sesshomaru as he prepared to tighten his whip and end the demons life.

"W-w-wait please! I beg of you! Spare me!" exclaimed the green demon as he looked from Sesshomaru to Rin; his lust clearly evident in his eyes.

"If you have any last words, say them now." Replied Sesshomaru as he became angrier after having seen the lust for Rin in the demons eyes.

"Please woman! Spare me!!"

Rin looked at the demon in sheer disgust as her eyes widened at his request. She scrunched her face after noticing the lust in his eyes. "You want me to spare you? After you requested for me to give you my body!? DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH!" shouted Rin as she opened her fan, with the night scene facing up. It began glowing a light blue as she turned to look at her Lord. It took everything in Sesshomaru's power to not kill the pathetic demon after hearing he was the one who wanted to claim her. "If my Lord allows me to, I will deal with you my self." Stated Rin as she watched Sesshomaru reluctantly release the demon from his whip. "Do it, If that is what you so choose Rin." Replied Sesshomaru as he backed up to see how Rin was going to kill him. "Thank you My Lady!" shouted the demon as he bowed to the ground in front of her. He then smirked as his head was down and reached up to touch Rin's thigh, but his hand was cut off quickly by the fan she held in her hands. "Do not touch me! YOU INSOLENT BASTARD!!" yelled Rin as she quickly sliced off his head with a flick of her fan. The demon fell at her feet as his blood soaked the silvery green grass.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in amusement as he watched Rin walk back over to him with Murasaki following close behind, now carrying the fish. Without even asking, she laced her fingers with his and began walking ahead of him as she pulled him to come with her. "Come on My Lord. We don't want Jaken to faint from worrying too much." She said as she giggled a bit and smiled brightly. His eyes widened at her bold actions but he said nothing and followed her in silence as she continued to pull him. "_Rin…you never cease to amaze me…_" he thought as his eyes softened while he watched her smile brightly for him, and only him.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

It was nearly dawn and all was quiet. The only thing that could be heard were the birds singing and the soft noise Rin made when she slept. Sesshomaru looked down at the woman who was lying next to the fire that was almost burned out completely. Her chest raised up softly as she breathed in a unique rhythm all her own. He watched as she let out a little yawn and muttered something 'Jaken leave me alone…I need to sleep…It's…too…early…' Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow as he watched her move from left to right and then raise her arms over her head to stretch as she woke up. Her eyes slowly opened up as another yawned escaped her before she rubbed an eye with her hand. She slowly got out of her new lavender sleeping bag that the twins Suki and Yasashi had given her for her birthday and rolled it up into a small ball before placing it inside her bag. She didn't seem to be aware that Sesshomaru was watching her as she put her kimono back on. When she finished tying her obi was when she finally realized he had been staring at her. Slowly, she turned her head to look at her Lord and watched as he stood up and began walking off.

"Ah! My Lord!" squealed Rin as she slowly stood up with Murasaki on her shoulder.

"Rin." Replied Sesshomaru as he stopped in his tracks.

"My Lord…I was wondering."

"What is it?"

"I was wondering if I could accompany on your morning walk."

"Follow me if you choose to Rin."

"Yes My Lord. Thank you!" she replied as she ran a bit to catch up to him and walked at his side. They were walking for a while and neither of them said anything. Rin, thinking it was much to quiet decided to pull out her iPod from inside her kimono. Before she knew it, they had already stopped and were standing in a middle of a flower covered field, watching the sun rise. Rin then decided to dance to the music that was playing from her iPod. She turned up the volume, but not all the way so that she could hear her Lord if he spoke to her.

Seeing that he wasn't paying much attention to her, she took this as an opportunity to begin dancing. She began spinning around in circles until she was in the middle of the field. She let the music fuse with her body as she moved her arms in a wave-like motion; one movement moving into another which such grace and beauty. She then began to rock her head and her hips simultaneously from side-to-side as she turned around slowly. With a swift movement of her feet she jumped in the air, spinning as she did so and landed, continuing the wave-like motions with her arms but only faster. As the music got faster, so did Rin and her dancing. She made the top half of her body shake while she raised her arms above her and continued to move her heads and hips in a wave-like movement simultaneously. Having had her eyes closed the entire time, she opened them to see her Lord looking in her direction. He was watching her; his curiosity clearly visible in his usually cold golden eyes.

Seeing this, she decided to change the song she was dancing to another one. This one was sultrier and had an odd seductive tune about it. Sesshomaru watched her to see her turn her head slightly and smile mischievously. He raised an eyebrow and wondered what she planned on doing. She closed her eyes again, her now large smile still plastered on her face as she began to back up slowly while moving her arms in front of her face, covering the lower half of it and opening her eyes when they were visible. Her hair fell over the left side of her face as she shook her whole body, moving faster and faster with each step she took. The flowers seemed to sway with her movements as the wind twirled around her body lifting the bottom of her kimono up as she continued to dance. She leaned to one side and stretched her arms out in front of her, never taking her eyes away from her Lord. The wind seemed to get stronger as she reached the ending of her dance and blew her hair in front of her face; the only things being made visible were her smile and her piercing eyes.

Sesshomaru then watched as she fell onto the grass backwards, completely drained of energy from her dance. He heard her let out a loud sigh as she raised her hands above her and Murasaki sat next to her licking her cheek. He walked over to her to see a bright flash appear over her in less than a second before disappearing as soon as it came. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity and leaned over her to see that she was in a bit of a daze. "Whoa…that flash…really can blind…you, huh…Murasaki?" stated Rin as she sat up and smiled at her Lord. His heart actually skipped a bit at the side of her tired out state as she smiled up at him with such innocence; he knew she had been up to something.

"Rin." He said as he sat down next to her and continued to stare at the pink and orange colored sky.

"Ah…Yes…My Lord?" she replied still a bit out of breath.

"What was that flash?"

"Oh. It came from this." She stated as she pulled out a little silver box out of her sleeve that was rounded at the edges.

"What is it?" he asked as he took the small little box from her.

"It's a digital camera My Lord."

"A digital camera?"

"Yes My Lord. It makes still images of life around you."

"This Sesshomaru does not quite understand."

"Look. I just took this picture of me and Murasaki a while ago." She replied as she showed him the image of her and the demon cat on the small screen.

"Interesting."

"Yes it is quite interesting indeed. I found it stuffed in a hidden compartment of my bag with a big red bow tied around it. Oh I almost forgot."

"Forgot what Rin?"

"Here, it's a picture of me. I don't want you forgetting me My Lord." She stated as she pulled a small picture of her out of her kimono and placed it in his hand before closing it. He opened his hand to find a very beautiful picture of Rin. Her hair was curled and she wore a white kimono with all the colors of spring on it in flower patterns. Jade green earrings decorated her slightly pointed ears and she wore a jade and black colored collar over her mark she had gotten from the war fan. A light pink blush covered her already naturally rosy cheeks, and a darker pink eye shadow accentuated the brownness of her large eyes. She also wore the same lip gloss on her lips that she was wearing now. Anyone could have mistaken her as a demoness with the way her ears pointed now because of the war fan's powers and because of her immense beauty. He felt his heart beat faster after seeing her picture and he looked from her to the picture over and over before putting it inside his kimono.

Rin smiled as she watched him walk back in the direction towards their camp. "Rin. Come." He stated as he stopped to wait for her. Rin cocked her head to the side, surprised that he had waited for her. It was quite unnatural. "Yes My Lord." She replied as she began running to him. She then stopped and smiled evilly as she let out a scream. Sesshomaru spun around quickly to see that she was no longer there. "I'm over here My Lord." She stated as she appeared from behind and hugged him. He turned around, still in her grasp and looked down at her before saying "Rin." Rin hugged him tighter as he said this and leaned her head up, with her chin resting on his chest to look up at him with big shiny eyes "Please. May I just hug you My Lord?" He responded by closing his eyes and letting out a deep low growl-like sigh. She smiled as he surrendered to her and she buried her face into his chest once more, breathing in deeply and letting out a loud 'Ahh' sound. Rin almost gasped when she felt his arms go around her shoulders to pull her closer to him. She looked up to see that he was now looking down at her with a soft expression and desire in her eyes. She decided to be bold and reached up to cup his face in her hands; and to her surprise he leaned into her touch. He then closed his eyes and thought "What is…this feeling…?" As he was thinking, the last talk he had with his father came flowing into his head "Do you have something important to protect, Sesshomaru?" He let out another growl that seemed a bit annoyed, but the feeling went away when Rin began rubbing her fingers over his stripes. His eyes opened to see Rin looking up at him with a concerned look on her face as she spoke "My Lord? Are you alright?"

Before he could answer her, Jaken's annoying voice could be heard yelling "RIN!! LORD SESSHOMARU!! RIN!!" Rin turned her head to look in the direction Jaken was coming in and nearly fell down. Her Lord had escaped her grasp and was now 11 feet away from her, staring off into the distance. Rin's mouth twitched and a water droplet appeared at the side of her head as she stared at her Lord. "Hmph. Stupid Master Jaken!" she thought as she inwardly cursed the little imp-like demon. When Jaken finally found her and Sesshomaru, she was stomping her feet up and down and he could swear he saw steam coming out of her ears. He heard a loud 'Hmph' sound as he approached her and said "Finally! I've been searching for you and My Lord for quite some time." Rin turned around, her eyes glowing white as she said "Ahh…Master Jaken. How nice of you to finally show up."

"Rin? Why are you looking at me that way? Rin? RIN!?" he exclaimed as he began running away from her.

"Come now Master Jaken. I wont hurt you…much!"

"RIN!! Stop joking like that this instant you crazy child!"

"A child am I? Do I look like a child to you Master-Jaken?"

"No Rin, but you are nothing but a child in-"

"Yeah, yeah…In the eyes of our Lord. I got that."

"Yes Rin. It is true. Although you are an adult in human terms, you are only a child in demon terms."

"I see. Come on Master Jaken. Let's play a game." She said as she put on the voice she used to have when she was a child, which caused Sesshomaru to turn his head and look in her direction.

"A game? RIN!? I don't trust you, you evil child!"

"Come now. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise."

"NO!!" he screamed as he ran away from her only to be thrown up high into the sky. "RIN!! PUT ME DOWN!! LORD SESSHOMARU!! MAKE HER STOP!!"

"Come on! Isn't this fun Master Jaken!?" she replied as she began spinning the little demon around and around in circles.

"RIN!! LORD SESSHOMARU MAKE HER STOP!! I BEG OF YOU!!"

"Rin." Said Sesshomaru as he began walking towards camp. The only reason he did as Jaken asked was because his voice was beginning to irritate him. "Yes My Lord! Aww…Master Jaken you're no fun at all!" replied Rin as she let the demon fall to the ground. Jaken screamed at the top of his lungs as he watched the field of grass below him get bigger and bigger. Just as he was inches away from the ground was when he stopped in mid-air and then dropped to the ground with a soft thud. He began muttering obscenities under his breath as he followed after Rin and their Lord.

Sesshomaru thought back to what his father said to him right before he died. His father's words echoed in his head over and over again "Do you have something important to protect, Sesshomaru?" He could not get that thought out of his head ever since Rin had hugged him like that. What was she doing to him, and what where those odd annoying feelings he felt when she was hugging him. Why did his heart recently start to beat faster whenever she would smile at him and look at him with those large innocent eyes? Dreams of his last encounter with his father haunted him and he wished they would stop. It was unbecoming for a demon to have dreams so often. It showed a sign of weakness…but he had no weakness, or so he thought. He then looked down at Rin with curiosity as he wondered how she was able to move Jaken without the help of her war fan. As if she could read his mind she answered "Sumire says that I gain a power from her every time I use one for the first time. So I don't have to have her with me in order to use them. Although, her being with me amplifies the strength of my powers."

"I see. Interesting."

"Yes. My Lord, may I ask you something?" she asked in a serious yet concerned voice.

"What is it Rin?"

"What was wrong with you earlier My Lord? I'm worried about you."

"Nothing Rin. I was simply thinking of the last words spoken to me by my father."

"Oh. If it's alright, may I ask what he said to you?"

"He asked me if I have something to protect."

"Do you, My Lord?" she asked seemingly anxious for his answer.

"This Sesshomaru protects nothing."

"Oh…I see…" she replied as she bowed her head down.

"That's the answer I gave him."

"Oh. Do you still feel that way My Lord?"

"This Sesshomaru is not sure."

"I see. That's alright. You don't have to know now." She replied with her usual bright smile as she turned to look at him. He turned to look at her and raised an eyebrow at how happy she seemed to be by his answer. He raised his hand and placed it against her cheek as he said "You never cease to amaze me Rin." Rin blushed a bright pink as she looked at him with curious eyes and placed her hand over his, and leaned into his touch. Sesshomaru studied her face and the peaceful expression that now graced her beautiful features as she held his hand to her face, her eyes now closed. His eyes traveled down her neck to see that the aura stone was quickly switching from pink which meant in-love to a light pale orange which meant she was nervous, over and over until the colors swirled together. The mixing of these two colors meant she was somewhat embarrassed.

"Rin." He said, bringing her from her wonderful thoughts of him.

"Ah, yes Lord Sesshomaru?" she replied while giving him a dazed smile as her heart skipped a beat.

"Why are you embarrassed?"

"M-m-my L-l-lord. What m-makes you think I a-a-am embarrassed?"

"Your aura stone was just pink and orange at the same time. Now it is only orange. Hmmm. Interesting."

"Lord Sesshomaru??"

"If I remember correctly. You are nervous. Do not lie to this Sesshomaru Rin. I can hear your heart beat increase as I speak."

"M-m-my Lord! How long have you known the meanings of the colors?"

"That is no concern of yours. Why are you nervous, Rin?"

"Well…you see…hehehe…there's a good reason for that and…I'd love to tell you one day!" she replied as she made a run for it towards camp. She ran through some trees as fast as she could and jumped over a few broken tree limbs. She got to camp and she let out a satisfied sigh and grinned from ear to ear. Before she could get to her bag, she was pinned down on the ground by a large heavy body. She almost let out a scream but realized that it was Sesshomaru who had her pinned down. She could feel her cheeks heat up as she began to feel embarrassed again. His piercing eyes stared down at her as he spoke "You can't escape this Sesshomaru Rin." She tried to look away but his gaze was just so piercing and his eyes were just so beautiful and hypnotizing that she couldn't help but stare into them. He watched as her pout-like lips parted slightly as if begging to be touched. He averted his eyes to the stone to see that it was half pink and half jade green, indicating the emotions of love and lust. "_What am I doing?_" he thought as he stood up before she could touch his face.

Rin frowned as she watched him walk away and lean up against a tree. She got up, prepared to go over and talk to him when she sensed a dagger flying straight at her. She flicked it away with a hidden dagger in the arm of her demon slayer outfit and shouted "Who's there? Show yourself!" Sesshomaru got ready to attack the person hiding when Rin jumped in front of him and sliced the trees with her war fan, knocking five of them down. "Yow!! Be careful where you're aiming that thing would you!?" came the voice that had been hiding in the trees. "_That voice…_" thought Rin as she placed her war fan at the side of her obi "_I know this voice. It sounds different but very familiar…_" "COME OUT NOW!!" she shouted as she stepped back a bit. "My, my, my Rin. Feisty as ever I see." Replied the deep voice of a man as he walked out from behind the trees. Rin grinned from ear to ear as she looked at the man in front of her. Before Sesshomaru could say anything, Rin was already hugging the very tall man. He had a small goatee at his chin and his hair was long and dark brown; it almost looked black and was up in a ponytail. He wore a demon slayer outfit similar to that of Rin's and Sango's and had become very strong yet muscular looking over the years.

"Kohaku! I've missed you so much!" exclaimed Rin as she let him go.

"I've missed you as well Rin." He replied as he stroked Kirara who had suddenly appeared on his arm and mewed in Rin's direction.

"I missed you too Kirara."

"How have you been? Still travelling with My Lord I see."

"I've been fine. How have you been?"

"I've been busy. I recently destroyed a group of ogres that had been attacking a nearby village. Oh! Did you like the present I got for you?"

"Yes I love it! Thank you Haku-chan!"

"Ahh…that name again."

"What!? YOU DON'T LIKE IT!?"

"Now, now Rinny. Calm down. I'm just teasing you." He replied as he walked over to their camp and sat down after picking up a piece of wheatgrass and placing it into his mouth. Sesshomaru just watched him a while before walking up to a tree and leaning against it. "How are you My Lord?" asked Kohaku as he looked over at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru replied with a low 'Hnn' sound as he folded his arms and closed his eyes. "Ahh…Still as cold as ever I see. Sit Rin. Tell me all that has happened while I've been away." Stated Kohaku as he smiled over at Rin.


	4. What Curiosity Can Do

_**Author's Notes:** Id love to thank **Hattaru**, **TJcat01** and **kawaiiitahina123** especially for leaving reviews on all the chapters of Metamorphosis so far. Thanks guys!! I'd also like to thank **peckforever** and **Bloodiedcrystalgirl666** for reviewing the last chapter. I hope you guys enjoy this one!_

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**Chapter 4**

"Oh Rinny! That story was amazing!" exclaimed Kohaku as he walked next to Rin with Kirara sitting on his shoulder. He stroked the little cat demon's chin briefly before turning his head to look at the woman walking next to him.

"Thank you Haku! I'm glad you enjoyed hearing it. It's not often I get to talk about my adventures with anyone." Replied Rin as she also stroked Murasaki's chin.

"Your welcome. I have missed hearing your laugh. Laugh for me Rinny!"

"Laugh? I can't just laugh all of the sudden."

"Oh I'm sure I can change that." He replied as he began tickling her under her arms, earning loud cheerful laughs from her. "Now that's better."

"Aww…no fair. I don't like being tickled Haku."

"But when you laugh like that, it seems like all is well in the world."

"That was so corny. You've been listening to Miroku-Sama too much." She stated as she rolled her eyes and grinned at him.

"I suppose I have." He replied shrugging slightly.

"I just hope Nazo doesn't become a pervert like his father."

"It's too late to wish for that Rin. If I'm not mistaken, he has five girlfriends already."

"Are you serious Haku!?"

"Extremely. I wish I could get women like that. I wonder what's wrong with me." He stated as he scratched his chin and smelled himself.

"Haha! You don't smell. And it's not as if you're ugly or anything. Just be yourself and don't take Miroku-Sama's advice anymore."

"Why thank you. I think I'll take your advice. But my…YOU certainly have changed Rin."

"Is that so? Well I'm glad you noticed." She stated while raising an eyebrow.

"You definitely aren't the same as you were when you were 10. That's for sure. You've grown up on me Rinny!"

"Ah. It was for the best!" she replied as she grinned from ear to ear.

"I suppose. It was going to happen sooner or later."

"Exactly!"

"So Rinny…"

"What is it?"

"Do you have someone special now…or are you and My Lord…you know…" he whispered as he looked at Sesshomaru who was walking ahead of them.

"HAKU! No I do not have anyone!! I've been single all my life! It's great! I have so much freedom!" she replied with her hands balled up into fists as she held them tight at her sides, another habit she got from Kagome.

"Oh really now? Don't lie Rin. It's quite unbecoming of you."

"I'M NOT LYING! I like being free! FREEDOM!! YAY ME!!"

"You are definitely lying Rinny."

"Am not!" she exclaimed as she furrowed her eyebrows and stuck her nose into the air making a 'Hmph' sound.

"Are too!"

"Am not!!"

"ARE TOO!"

"AM NOT!!" she shouted as she sent Kohaku flying into the air into a tree.

"AGGGHHHH!!" he shouted as he went flying into some branches, breaking them on impact.

"KOHAKU!! I'm sorry!" replied Rin as she stopped and ran off the trail to help Kohaku up. Sesshomaru stopped and so did Jaken and Ah-Un. Jaken rolled his eyes in Rin's direction at her unforgivable behavior. Why if it had been him who caused them to be delayed in the slightest he knew he'd be punished for it. But here was Rin, running off without saying anything, to find that other human that Jaken thought was more annoying than she was. "Honestly! I swear Lord Sesshomaru let's that child get away with everything!" he mumbled under his breath as he watched Rin come back with Kohaku. He fell to the ground instantly after being hit in the head with a rock, and knocked unconscious. "I'm sorry My Lord!" exclaimed Rin as she got back to the spot she was walking at before. Sesshomaru said nothing but continued walking as if nothing had happened. "Oh! Looks like Jaken's out cold." Stated Kohaku as he placed Jaken on the back of Ah-Un and pulled his reigns to get him moving.

Rin began her usual morning activity as she watched the white butterflies fly through the forest. Her usual morning activity consisted of her thinking about her Lord, the butterflies, flowers or birds around her and…thinking of her Lord. She usually thought about her Lord more than anything else. Making completely sure that no one was paying attention to her, she began staring at Sesshomaru, studying everything about him. She already knew her Lord like the back of her hand and was always able to tell when he was angry sad or hurt about something, or even curious and confused. She knew what to do to make him feel awkward around her or make him interested in her. She just wished he was interested in her the same way she was interested in him. She loved him…she always loved him, ever since that day he brought her back to life. Admiration and compassion were two other feelings she also felt for him. He was the most beautiful and enchanting man that she had ever seen, and she had yet to find anyone who even compared to his immense beauty. She admired him for his courage and strength, and his ability to stay completely calm in the worst of situations and to never express what he's feeling. Quite a lot of her habits were ones that she had gotten from him. Her habits of cursing came from Inuyasha, her ominous aura from Sango, her temper and funny little actions from Kagome, and her ability to lie from Miroku…although she could never lie to those close to her for they knew when she was.

After realizing that her thoughts had trailed off, she continued her activity of staring at her Lord. She then remembered how he had known about the meanings of the aura stone. "_How did he know what the colors meant? And when did he find out? If he knows what all of them mean…then that means…he saw what I was feeling for him when he had pinned me to the ground. OH NO!_" thought Rin as she let out weird tiny squealing noises that made Sesshomaru, Kohaku, Murasaki, Kirara and Jaken who was now conscious, look at her. She put her hands to her now bright red cheeks and shook her head vigorously while letting out a squeaky 'EEYAH!' Sesshomaru turned his head slightly to look at her out of the corner of his eye while Kohaku raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Hehehe…I'm fine! Nothing to see here!" stated Rin as she waved her hands in front of her over and over until they stopped looking at her. "_Great…if My Lord saw that then it means I'll have to begin hiding my feelings the way he does, and constantly think of something else._" She thought as she entwined her fingers together, placing them in front of her "_But I'm usually thinking about him…_" She let out another squeal but only Kohaku looked at her this time as he lead Ah-Un by his reigns. Kohaku began speaking a strange language that could only be understood by other demon slayers, saying "Day dreaming again are we?"

"Yes I am Haku. I tend to do that this early in the morning." Replied Rin in the same strange language, which made Sesshomaru and Jaken look at both her and Kohaku with curiosity.

"I see. Well how about you stop day dreaming about him and talk to him instead? He seems to be a bit jealous of me for some reason."

"Jealous!? Of you Kohaku? But we're only best friends! That's hilarious!"

"Yes Rinny. Jealous of me as hard as that may be for you to believe. That really hurt you know."

"I didn't mean it in a bad way Haku-chan! I just find it hard to believe that My Lord would be jealous of anyone, especially a human at that." She stated as she put her finger to her chin as if she was pondering something.

"Whether or not I'm a human doesn't matter Rin. I'm still a man. He may think I'm trying to take you from him."

"But…I'm not his Haku…"

"Not yet Rinny. Not yet. Now go on and talk to him. He seems annoyed that he can't understand what we're saying." He said as he smiled and moved his eyes in Sesshomaru's direction. Rin smiled and shook her head before walking over to her Lord.

Sesshomaru looked down at her with his usual cold expression, but there was a hint of jealousy and curiosity in his eyes; curiosity being the only emotion Rin could identify. She smiled up at him brightly and tilted her head slightly as she held her hands behind her back with her chest poked out. He raised an eyebrow at her unusual posture but ignored it as he averted his eyes in front of him. Even though he wasn't looking at her directly, he could tell that she was becoming nervous again, due to the fast increase of her heartbeat. "_She get's nervous every time she's around me now…Could Rin be…Hmph. Ridiculous._" He thought as he tucked his hands into the sleeves of his kimono.

"Rin." He said without turning his head to look at her.

"Yes My Lord?" she replied as she smiled up at him, and began to hide her feelings with the help of her miko powers.

"Are you nervous again?"

"I don't know My Lord. You tell me."

"Your heart is beating quickly, and yet your aura stone shows no color."

"And what does that tell you My Lord."

"You are tying to hide your emotions from me Rin. Right now you are nervous but a bit shocked that I could tell how you felt. And now you are worried. Why do you worry Rin?"

"I'm…I'm not w-w-worried My L-l-lord."

"Rin."

"I'm worried because I don't want you to find out something…"

"I see." He replied as he began to drift deep into thought. He began thinking back to earlier that morning when Rin was dancing in front of him. He remembered the way she shook her body so quickly and moved her hips in a seductive wave-like motion. Thinking of the way she smiled and looked at him made his heart skip a beat. He could see the desire in her eyes and in the way she had moved her body while she was staring at him. "My Lord." She said as she waited for Sesshomaru to respond. Nothing. "My Lord?" she asked again as she tugged on the sleeve of her Lord's kimono. Still Nothing. "MY LORD!?" she shouted this time as she shook his arm vigorously, earning a loud yell out of Jaken. "RIN!! What do you think you're doing to Lord Sesshomaru! You crazy child!" he yelled as his eyes seemed to pop out of his head. "Jaken." Replied Sesshomaru, after having been dragged out of his thoughts by Jaken's high pitched voice. "Knock it off." Jaken shut up immediately and said nothing else. Rin looked up at Sesshomaru, her hand still holding onto the sleeve of his kimono, the same way she had done when she was only a child as she said "My Lord. You worry me sometimes."

"There is no need for you to worry Rin." He replied as he glanced down at her briefly.

"If you say so Sesshomaru-Sama."

"Rin."

"Yes?"

"What was that language that you and the boy were speaking?"

"Oh. We were just speaking an old forgotten language known only to demon slayers. Sango and Kohaku taught it to me while I was living at Inuyasha's village."

"I see..."

"What's wrong My Lord? Even though you tell me not to worry…I'm still going to."

"It's no concern of yours Rin."

"Yes it is! Stop saying things like that! I'm concerned about you because I care My Lord! Please forgive me…but I don't like it when something's bothering you." She exclaimed with her fists clenched tightly at her sides as she stopped walking to look up at him. Kohaku and Jaken stared at Rin in complete shock at her actions. Jaken was about to yell at her but Kohaku opened up a small container with some pink powder in it and put it directly under the little imp's nose, knocking him out cold. Sesshomaru had also stopped walking and looked back at Rin, his eyes wide with surprise at her sudden outburst. "Rin…I assure you. You have nothing to be concerned about. This Sesshomaru is fine." He then replied as he turned around and continued walking. Rin let out a sigh of defeat as she followed after him, thinking "_You are so stubborn My Lord…but it only makes me love you more…_"

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin lay snuggled in her lavender sleeping bag which was situated a few feet away from Kohaku's own. Kohaku had already fallen asleep and was making tiny muffled snoring noises. She was pretending to be asleep as she waited for her Lord to make his move. She knew his routine well. After her and Jaken had eaten, her Lord would go off for a long time and by the time he came back, Jaken would already be sleeping. He would then wait until Rin was asleep before leaving again. Ever since she found out he left during the middle of the night, she had always wondered where he went. When she noticed this, she was around 18 years old and had woken up in the middle of the night after having a nightmare about being killed by the wolves. She was surprised that she would dream of this event because it had been years since it had bothered her. Just when she was on the urge of drifting off back to sleep, she noticed for some odd reason still unknown to her, that her Lord was gone. Quickly, she sat up and looked around to see him walking off far away in the distance as he disappeared into the night. Ever since that night she had wondered where he went and decided it was about time she found out.

She had her back to Sesshomaru and had asked Murasaki to let her know when he was gone. Murasaki could speak to her by sending thoughts into her mind. She was also able to hear Rin when Rin talked to her through her thoughts as well. Murasaki lay in front of Rin's chest with her head propped up on Rin's neck so she would face Sesshomaru. Her eyes were wide open and she was staring at Sesshomaru, but made sure to look at other things so he wouldn't think they were up to something. Sesshomaru knew the little cat demon had been watching him but he didn't think anything of it as he got up and began walking off away from the camp. Murasaki waited until he was a good distance away when she could see him slowly disappearing into the darkness of the night before she notified Rin. "Ri-chan. Your Lord is gone. I waited until I saw him disappear into the darkness before alerting you." Thought Murasaki as she sent her thoughts into Rin's mind. Rin got up out of her sleeping bag slowly to make sure she wouldn't wake the others. She pet Murasaki on the head, earning a soft purr sound from her as she sent her thoughts into the cat demon's mind "Thank you Mura. I'll be off now. You stay here." Murasaki rubbed her body against Rin's legs implying that she understood, before curling up in Rin's sleeping bag. Rin was about to leave camp when a hand grabbed her by her wrist and spun her around. It was Kohaku and he had the look of a concerned father when they found their daughter trying to sneak out of the house late at night.

"And just where do you think you're going young lady?" asked Kohaku with his arms folded tightly over his chest and his eyebrows raised slightly.

"I'm going to go look for Lord Sesshomaru." Replied Rin with a sly smirk on her face.

"Oh. Where did he go? Do you know?"

"No I don't. But I'm going to find out."

"Well just be careful Rinny."

"I know Haku. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

"You better keep your promise Rin. Don't come back too late!" he replied with a large grin on his face.

"Yes father!" she replied as she began walking off and turned her head to smile at him. As she walked off, she heard Murasaki's thoughts enter her mind saying "Be careful Ri-Chan." Rin replied in her mind as she thought "Don't worry Mura. Rin will be fine." Rin continued walking until she could no longer see the camp. She then stopped and listened to her surroundings. Crickets chirping and the light rustle of the leaves as the wind blew across the large grassy field were the only things she could hear. She then drowned them out as she began searching for her Lord's aura while thinking "_Come on Lord Sesshomaru…where are you?_" She stood there in the middle of the field like that for about 10 minutes before she finally sensed his aura. Running as fast as she could, she followed the direction she had sensed his aura coming from as she thought "_I found you!_" When she thought she was close enough but still a good distance away that he wouldn't pick up her scent, she began walking, quickly but as silent as the night. Her maneuvering ability to move around through the dark, without stepping on anything was astounding. You would have thought her an expert assassin if you saw her in the act. She moved with such quickness and stealth that it was unbelievable to anyone who witnessed it.

Finally, she was in eye-viewing range of her Lord. She walked through some bushes, making sure not to alert her Lord unnecessarily. She stopped and crouched down on the ground after hearing a soft thud. Looking through the bushes, she saw her Lord standing at the edge of a natural hot spring. His back was turned and his armor and two swords were leaned up against a large tree. Hundreds of tan colored rocks of all shapes and sizes surrounded the hot spring in a circular form until they joined at one large boulder. Steam could be seen as it rose from out of the burning hot water, creating a thin fog-like atmosphere to the surroundings. Rin was thankful for all of this steam, because it placed millions of water molecules in the air which would obstruct Sesshomaru's ability to notice her scent. She blinked her eyes as she watched him untie his obi, dropping it to the ground along with his kimono and his mokomoko. Her heart beat as fast as it's ever beaten as she gazed upon his perfect porcelain body. His chest was firm and detailed, as if every line and groove had been chiseled out perfectly by an expert sculptor. Her eyes wandered down to his fully toned abs and lingered there as she gazed upon his beauty. There, right above his hakama, were four magenta stripes coming from the sides of his hips, two on either side. She wondered if it was against the laws of nature for one being to be this beautiful as her cheeks flushed red with heat. She bit her lower lip, causing it to turn red as she then watched him remove his hakama and toss it on top of his kimono. She let out a long gasp after realizing she had been holding her breath as she watched her Lord walk into the water, letting out a low growl as he adjusted to the heat of the springs.

He walked far into the water, until it reached right above his hips. He than sat down in the water, causing it to reach him at his chest halfway as he let out a low relaxed sigh. Rin watched as he closed his eyes and dipped his head into the water before leaning back against a large smooth rock that was behind him. His long silky silver hair fell over his arms and the sides of his face, sticking to his hot wet skin. She could see the steam come off of him as she let her eyes trail over his face which showed a peaceful calm expression. The water from his soaked bangs ran down his face and over his lips, all the way down his neck and into the groove of his collar bone. Rin took in a deep breath to keep herself from going crazy as she felt herself getting hot. She then ran a hand at the back of her neck and looked away for a brief moment to try and calm herself down before looking back at her Lord. She then noticed that he was wearing a necklace much like hers, with the same aura stone on it. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head as she refrained from jumping out of the bushes and running towards him and asking him how long he's known about auras.

Something tiny and fuzzy began tickling her leg, but she ignored it and swapped at her leg with her hand as she continued to look at her Lord. The same tickling sensation went up her leg again but she brushed it away again. It seemed to get more persistent this time and she thought "_Mura. Not now! I'm busy…wait…I didn't bring Mura with me…then what…_" She looked down to see a nest of spiders crawling all over her legs and she jumped out of the bushes screaming "SPIDERS!!" Sesshomaru jerked his head up and his eyes widened as he wondered how Rin had found him and gotten so close without his even realizing it. He slowly got out of the water as he continued to watch the distressed woman in front of him scream her lungs out about some insignificant insects. After putting his hakama back on he watched as Rin continued to run around in the water, splashing it everywhere while shouting "SPIDERS!! GET THEM OFF!! GET THEM OFF!! GET THEM OFF!!" She then tripped and flew face forward into the water. But quickly shot out of it as she began complaining about how scolding hot it was. He raised an eyebrow in fascination and had to refrain from laughing at her unusual behavior. He couldn't understand how she could fight demons so fearlessly, yet be afraid of a mere spider. She then tripped again, this time falling backwards, but was caught by Sesshomaru before she fell into the water again. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up to see her Lord's toned muscular chest and arms hovering over her as he stared down at her with curiosity in his eyes.

"Rin." He said as he helped her regain her balance. He stared down at the beautiful woman in front of him. She was now soaked from head to toe. Her wet hair and kimono sucked onto her body like a vacuum as she moved her hips from left to right. He looked down from her lips after seeing that her bottom one was slightly red and continued to look down her neck before stopping at her fully round perky breasts. He could see them exceptionally well due to the soaked under kimono she had on and studied them as if saving them to his memory incase he never got another chance to see them again. His heart skipped a beat after noticing that their pink tips were hard and poked through her kimono. It didn't help that she was aroused either.

"Yes My Lord?" she asked as her eyes looked over his chest again while she bit her lip. She looked up at him and realized he was scanning her body but made no attempt to cover herself.

"Why are you here?"

"I noticed a few years ago that you would leave during this time of the night and I wanted to know why."

"I see. This Sesshomaru is curious as to how you got here without my knowing."

"Years of training My Lord. I am an expert miko and demon slayer you know!" she replied as she held out one finger and winked with a smile.

"I see."

"My Lord…I…" she said as she wrapped her arms around him.

"Rin." He said as he watched her move his arms around her waist. He unintentionally tightened his grip as he pulled her closer to him. He could feel her breasts press up against him which made him let out a growl.

"My Lord…I know that my relationship with Kohaku bothers you. But we are just friends. Nothing else."

"Rin. How…"

"I always know what bothers you My Lord. Even if you don't wish to tell me." She said as she buried her face into his chest "Please tell me what bothers you from now on My Lord. It's not always easy keeping everything inside…I understand how you feel." His eyes widened at how much she cared for him and he pulled her closer. She let out a small moan as she felt his firm abs press closer to her, causing a spike in her arousal. Noticing this, he regained his composure as he pulled her off of him. When he looked down at her she looked a bit taken a back but smiled softly at him as she grabbed one of his clawed hands and placed it on her right hip. His cheeks turned a light shade of red at her bold actions and he felt speechless. He then watched as she did the same with his other hand before she lifted her other hand up to his face and kissed him passionately. It took him a while before he kissed her back with the same passion. The kiss was soft yet deep and filled with desire as they kissed each other hungrily. He pulled her against his body causing her neck to arch back deepening the kiss. They stayed like that for a while before she fainted from the heat of the springs.

He picked her up in his arms, leaning her against his mokomoko after he had dressed himself. He was going to fly but then decided to walk and enjoy being with her as he made his way back to their camp. He breathed in deeply, taking in the scent of his Rin. He stared down at the beautiful woman in his arms and watched as she nuzzled her head into the crook of his neck. Her hot breath sent shivers down his spine and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck. What this human woman could do to him. She made him feel things no woman had ever made him feel before. Things he thought he was absolutely incapable of feeling, especially from a human. He let a small smile grace his features as he brushed a random piece of stray hair away from her beautiful sleeping face. "Lord…Sesshomaru…" she muttered in her sleep as she tightened her grip around his neck. He felt his heart skip a beat at the way his name sounded when spoken by her sweet voice. He held her tighter to his chest as they walked through some trees. He would protect her with all that he had…even if it meant giving up his life for her. He held his breath at the next words that came out of her mouth "I…love you…Sesshomaru…Sama…" Those three words seeped into his soul and he would never admit it but he longed to hear her say it again. "Sweet dreams…Rin…" he whispered as they came closer to camp.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

The cold wind of the early morning blew past them as they took flight into the air. Sesshomaru had stated that they would be traveling through the air today because it would be faster to get closer to the Western Lands. Sesshomaru flew ahead while Jaken rode on top of Ah-Un, Rin rode on Murasaki and Kohaku rode on Kirara. Kirara and Murasaki would constantly let out content growls as it wasn't often they got to fly through the sky like this. Rin squinted her eyes slightly as the cold wind blew her hair from out of her face. It was just about the time of spring when there would be a frenzy of spring showers, so it was beginning to get a bit cold. Rin wore her cloak-like kimono that Inuyasha, Keimō and Yūkan had given her for her birthday. She tucked her hair behind her ears and into the fluffy collar as she buttoned the very top of it. Her small hands were hidden inside its long sleeves as she leaned closer to Murasaki and wrapped her arms around her soft furry neck as she pressed her cheek into fur.

She looked up through Murasaki's thick fur to see her Lord gliding through the sky in front of her. His silver silk-like hair blew in the wind but still seemed to keep a uniform shape. Her cheeks flushed pink and her body became heated as she remembered the kiss her and her Lord had shared no less than a few hours ago. She could remember the feel of his lips as he kissed her hungrily and she remembered feeling his fangs gently graze her skin as he sucked on her lips. She could practically feel the trace of his lips still on hers as she made a pout-like expression while she ran her fingers over her lips. Her heart beat increased rapidly…she wanted to kiss him again…she needed to. But then she stopped and thought "_What if he only kissed me because it was in the heat of the moment? And plus I was very aroused, my scent could have affected him as well…What if he actually didn't return my kiss and it was just me kissing him!? NO!!_" She put her hands to her face and began squealing out loud as she shook her head vigorously. Her thoughts were disturbed as she let out a loud sneeze. "Just great…I'm getting sick…Note to self: Rin, remember to wear a bathing suit the next time you go into water that late at night." She thought as she rubbed her nose as it began to turn a bright shiny red.

"Rinny…what are you sneezing for? Hmm? I wonder." Stated Kohaku in the demon slayer language as he signaled for Kirara to fly next to Murasaki.

"It's nothing you need to worry about Haku. I'm fine…really…Ah…Ah…AHCHOO!!...really…" replied Rin in the same language as she rubbed her nose with a handkerchief she had inside of her kimono.

"I see. I wonder what you did last night that caused you to catch a cold."

"It's nothing Haku. Really I'm…AHCHOO!!...fine."

"It's fine if you don't want to tell me that you came back very early this morning. And that Sesshomaru-Sama was the one that brought you back to camp. AND that you were soaking wet and were holding onto him quite tightly I might add. AND your lips were dangerously close to his neck…AND-"

"ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! When I found Lord Sesshomaru last night…he…was…"

"He was what? Come on! Out with it Rinny!" he replied with a grin on his face; he liked to torture her for fun.

"He…Ahchoo!...was…Ahchoo!!...naked!...AHCHOO!!..." she replied as she groaned from the way her nose hurt so much after sneezing that many times.

"Oh…so you two?...I see. Little Rinny is growing up!!"

"No Haku! We didn't…we just kissed."

"That still doesn't explain why you were your hair and clothes were soaking wet."

"Well…I was spying on him…and then something began…AHCHOO!!...tickling me…and I looked down to find spiders all over my legs. That's when I jumped out from where I was hiding and into the water of the hot springs. I soon tripped over a slippery rock and fell into the water…Ahchoo!...face first."

"Is…that…Haha!...so!" he replied as he began laughing hysterically, causing Jaken and Ah-Un to turn their heads and look at him like he was going mad.

"Haku…it's not that funny…But seriously though…you need to get a girlfriend." She replied as she rolled her eyes and rubbed her nose with her handkerchief.

"Aww…Rinny, that was cold!"

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin ran through the trees away from camp until she finally found a secluded area that was a good distance away. Her monthly cycle had arrived and she reeked of blood. She had already bathed but had run away from camp to put on one of those 'pad' things Kagome had showed her how to use ever since she got her first cycle when she was 12. She decided to sit down for a while and stare off into the distance before going back to camp right away. Her stomach began bubbling before it got really warm and then she got cramps. Her cramps were always extremely painful, and she would not usually be able to walk because of them. "_Great…how am I going to get back to camp in all of this pain…_" she thought as she fell back onto the soft grass. She rested one hand on top of her stomach and the other one over her head as she felt her cramps get worse. "Shit…I should've brought those pain killers with me…" she said out loud as she slowly sat up. She began crawling on her hands and knees in an attempt to get back to camp. Surely this would not take all night…or at least she hoped it wouldn't. Before she could even get far enough, she felt something grab onto her leg and pull her backwards. She struggled to break free from whatever had a hold on her as she forced herself to kick violently. The creature that had grabbed onto her let go ad her feet made contact with its face. "Damnit. Don't you have anything better to do then try to eat humans!?" shouted Rin as she forced herself to get up and run. She didn't have time to deal with this pathetic lower demon. All she cared about was getting those pain killers. "Foolish human! You will die!" replied the demon as it grabbed both of her legs this time, bringing her down to the ground. "SHIT! AHCHOO!! I don't have time for this!" exclaimed Rin as she turned around; ready to attack the demon only to see it ripped to pieces.

Her eyes widened and she noticed green smoke in the air where the demon once was. She was beginning to get a headache and she quickly began crawling away, not even paying attention to the fact that it was her Lord who had killed the demon. She then stopped and spun around, shooting a lavender blast of purifying light at who she thought to be another lower demon. Two strong clawed hands grabbed her by her wrists and she was about to shoot another blast of purifying energy when Sesshomaru said "Rin." If it has been any other demon, they would indeed have been turned to ashes by her miko powers, but Sesshomaru seemed immune to all purifying abilities except for the ones that came from Mt. Hakureisan. Rin blinked a few times, her vision had been blurred a bit from the strong headache she was having, but it seemed to disappear as soon as she heard his voice. She felt herself fall back as she watched Sesshomaru disappear in the blink of an eye, appearing behind her to catch her. The soft fur of the mokomoko made her feel better as she leaned against Sesshomaru and buried her face into his chest, but she snapped her eyes open and began running away from him with all the energy she had.

Sesshomaru watched as she ran away from him, making odd moans from the cramps she was having as her pain increased with her running. He raised an eyebrow and ran after her; she had gotten quite far and this amazed him. "_No…As much as I want to be held by you My Lord…I don't want you to be around me now…Why did you come for me even though you know my cycle has started…_" she thought as she began to speed up even though it caused her more pain. She then took in a deep breath as she jumped into the sky, flipping and landing on the branch of a willow tree. Breathing in deeply and letting out a sigh of relief she was about to sit down on the branch when she felt herself being picked up into the air. Sesshomaru had caught her and was flying back towards camp. Her heart began beating faster but she fought with all her might until she finally broke free, falling towards the ground. He let out an annoyed growl at how determined she was to get away form him as a ball of light surrounded him and he flew after her. "Crap!! Why did I do that!!" she yelled as the pressure of the air around her made her feel uneasy. She turned her head to see the ball of light soaring down next to her and catching her just before she hit the ground. Sesshomaru then grabbed both of her arms and pinned her up against a tree as he said "Rin."

"Yes…My Lord?" she replied as she tried to catch her breath. She realized she had angered him by trying to run away and she could see the emotion of annoyance written all over his face.

"Why were you trying to get away from this Sesshomaru?"

"It's no concern of yours My Lord."

"Rin. Do not make this Sesshomaru repeat himself."

"Yes My Lord…Ahchoo!"

"Rin!"

"It's because I don't want to bother you with the smell of my blood. I know how sensitive your nose is. I just didn't want to be a burden to you so I decided to stay away from you for awhile."

"I see. And what would you have done if I had not been there to catch you?"

"I…I would have thought of something! Or at least I hoped I would."

"Interesting." He replied with a smirk on his face.

"Sesshomaru-Sama! It's not funny! I'm not as clumsy as you think I am. I'm only this way…"

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Let's go back to camp." She replied as she began walking through the trees.

"Rin. It is not the scent that bother's me as much as the way your voice seems to mimic Jaken's annoying tone when you're in pain." He replied as he picked her up in one swift motion, placing her against his mokomoko. Rin smirked at his statement before kissing his cheek and wrapping her arms around his neck as she said "Thank you…My Lord…" She then let out a loud sneeze that made her laugh after seeing Sesshomaru's surprised expression.


	5. The Competition

_**Authors Notes:** Thanks to everyone that reviewed! I'd mention names but I'm tired of typing after having just finished typing this chapter! I hope you all enjoy this one! And as usual, I do not own Inuyasha (if i did i would continue the series with Rin & Sessh :P)_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Three weeks had passed and it spring was almost over. Rin lifted up her hand to catch a few cherry blossom petals that had been falling from the trees, into a small suede sack, until it was completely full. She tied the light brown sack with a black piece of cord before putting it back into her backpack. Letting out a yawn, she lifted her arms high above her as she stretched upwards on her toes and let out a sigh that was barely audible. Sesshomaru looked down at her and then back in front of him, and he inwardly sighed. Now he remembered why he had stayed away from the Western Lands for so long. There was too much work to do and there had been a request for the Lords, both humans and demons, to come together to talk about business and politics. One question had been asked countless numbers of times and he simply didn't have any intention of ever answering it 'When will you take a mate?' He couldn't understand why he needed to have a mate like everyone expected. It wasn't as if he could not run the Western Lands and deal with its problems by himself…but then he remembered…that small tiny detail that his mother had constantly reminded him about whenever he saw her, which of course, was not very often. 'You need to have a proper heir' was what she would constantly say to him. As if he cared at all about something like that, especially if it was his mother that was reminding him. "_I suppose I can have Jaken tell the Lords that they are to refrain from bringing me any 'potential mates' if they know what's good for them._" Thought Sesshomaru as he let out a low, annoyed growl. Rin noticed this and tugged on the sleeve of his kimono as she asked "Are you alright My Lord?" Sesshomaru replied by softening his features and nodding slightly, which caused her to smile up at him.

Jaken covered his eyes with his left hand from the bright rays of the sun that were pouring down over the trees, while leading Ah-Un with his right hand. He took in a deep breath as he looked at his surroundings. Trees, trees and more trees. Oh how he missed being at the Western Lands! There, he could give orders out to people as much as he wanted whenever he felt like it and he did all of Sesshomaru's important tasks for him. He would tell Sesshomaru whenever he was to meet with the other Lords or when something big, such as a gathering or a welcoming party would happen. He then looked over to his left to see Kohaku walking with Kirara, who was sitting on his left shoulder, and Murasaki who was sitting on his right. "_The reason why My Lord would put up with one human is strange enough…but putting up with two! I'll never understand it, that's for sure._" Thought Jaken as he shook his head while looking at Kohaku, and then averting his eyes to look at Rin and his Lord "_And Rin! What is happening with that child? She's been talking to our Lord a great amount these past few weeks, and even more than usual!! I didn't think it was possible for one human to have so much to say with those small brains of theirs. Yet again…Rin is no ordinary human. I can kind of see why My Lord has yet to send her away…but Kohaku on the other hand is a mystery._" He then looked at Kohaku again and saw him wave at him and give him a big smile before saying something in that strange language to Rin. Jaken listened as Rin said something back to him and began laughing. She then grabbed onto the sleeve of her Lord's kimono as she smiled up at him brightly. When she smiled like this, Jaken was always reminded of how her smile hadn't changed one bit, even if the rest of her had. She certainly wasn't a child anymore.

Rin had reopened her suede bag, and would stray off of the path every now and then to pick flowers that had large petals. While walking next to Sesshomaru, she'd pull the petals off of the flowers and drop the stems on the ground after putting the petals into her little suede bag. After repeating this a few more times, she retied her bag, placed it in her backpack and looked ahead. They would be reaching the Western Lands soon and she was quite anxious to go back. Of course she loved traveling around with her Lord, but it was always nice to sleep in a nice soft, warm, fluffy bed. The thing she missed a lot was running through the never ending fields of all of her favorite flowers for as long as she wanted. Looking up at her Lord, she then remembered what she missed the most, and that was visiting her Lord in the middle of the night. Although she hadn't done any of those things since she was a child, or when she would have a nightmare about wolves occasionally, she thought she might try it again when they got back, since she now loved him differently. "I'm looking forward to eating all that wonderful food when we get to the Western Lands, Rinny!!" said Kohaku in the demon slayer language as he then made a licking slurping sound that made Rin laugh. "I know Haku! Chef Shiku makes the best meals!" agreed Rin in the demon slayer language as she turned her head and smiled at Kohaku. She then looked up after realizing that Sesshomaru kept glancing down at her; most likely because she had been speaking in that strange language again. Smiling up at him, she wrapped her arm around his arm, which shocked him somewhat, and she said "He was telling me that he's looking forward to eating Chef Shiku's wonderful food."

"I see. Then there was no reason to speak in that other language."

"I know My Lord. Haku's weird like that you know!"

"Interesting." He said as he thought about the way she had referred to him with a nickname.

"My Lord."

"What is it?"

"I was wondering why we've been away from your home for so long My Lord."

"We travel a lot regardless of any reason, do we not Rin?"

"Yes My Lord, but we've been gone for a whole year this time."

"You wish to return home Rin."

"Yes I do. I have certainly missed those fields of flowers that you made the gardeners arrange for me when I was but only a child." She said as she thought of the words Jaken always told her 'You are nothing but a child in my eyes and in the eyes of our Lord'. But that couldn't be true since they had shared a kiss…but only one kiss. How she longed to kiss him again.

"I see. I do not miss it."

"Why My Lord? Is it not the place of your birth?"

"Although that may be true, I do not care for it. Those other Lords are more, dare I say, annoying than Jaken, if possible." He said as an annoyed expression appeared on his face.

"I'd be happy to help you with anything My Lord. You need to rest."

"Rin."

"Yes?"

"Why do you volunteer yourself so freely?"

"If it was not Sesshomaru-Sama, I would do no such thing. It is because…I love you." She replied as she smiled up at him brightly; the wind blowing her hair in front of her face. He could not respond, for those three words left him speechless. After regaining his composure, he spoke "That is the second time you have said that Rin."

"Said what My Lord?" she asked with a confused look on her face. She did not remember saying it the first time since she had said it in her sleep.

"That you love this Sesshomaru."

"I've…I've s-s-said it b-b-before?"

"In your sleep."

"Oh. I do not remember My Lord. I'm sorry. Forgive me."

"Don't say such silly things Rin. You have nothing to be sorry about." He said as he looked down at her.

"Yes My Lord." She replied as she smiled at him. Jaken's words then popped into her head again and made her frown, and she looked away so that Sesshomaru would not see it.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

The strong cold wind blew past them as they came to the large massive black iron gate of the castle of the Western Lands. The gates were opened immediately as Sesshomaru began walking forward with Rin walking next to him. Kohaku, who still had both cat demons on his shoulders, and Jaken, who was leading Ah-Un by the reigns, followed behind them. Rin watched as the servants who had opened the gates, close it back quickly before bowing in their Lords direction even though they were no longer in his field of vision. She looked around and smiled brightly; letting out a long peaceful sigh after seeing the beloved field of flowers that she had missed so much. Oh how she longed to roll around in them for hours upon hours. Sesshomaru, noticing her desire to touch the flowers, looked to her and said "You may go if you wish Rin." She smiled up at him before dashing off into the fields of flowers, dancing around as she went. Kohaku and Jaken stared in her direction and shook their heads at her child-like behavior. "_Some things never change huh Rinny?_" thought Kohaku as he and Jaken followed Sesshomaru up the long fleet of white marble steps and into the castle.

Rin lay there in the field of roses, sunflowers, carnations and baby's breath for a few hours, just taking in their wonderful aromas and beauty. She closed her eyes and went deep into thought about Sesshomaru. Even though they had shared a kiss, it didn't seem like much had changed. She wanted to kiss him again, for as long and as passionate as possible. "_I wonder how My Lord feels about me…or that kiss we shared. It's not unlikely that he only kissed me because the whole feel of the atmosphere…the steam, the water…my arousal definitely could have made him act that way…_" she thought as she looked up at the sky and let out a deep sigh. She was about to drift deeper into her thought when Jaken's annoying words popped into her head yet again. "AGGGHHH!! STUPID MASTER JAKEN!!" shouted Rin as she shot up into a sitting position with a furious look on her face.

Meanwhile, in the office of Sesshomaru's living quarters, Jaken was having the best time ordering all the servants to do whatever needed to be done and anything else he could think of. Why? Because he had this kind of power and he loved to abuse it whenever he was able to.

"My Lord?" asked Jaken as he turned his head to see Sesshomaru standing on his balcony, looking up at the sky which was now bright with pink and orange colors from the sunset.

"What is it?" replied Sesshomaru, not bothering to look at the little imp-like demon that was now standing behind him.

"Did you hear that My Lord?"

"Hear what, Jaken?"

"If I'm not mistaken…I could have sworn I heard Rin calling me stupid! Why that ungrateful child!"

"Your mind plays tricks on you Jaken. I heard no such thing." He replied as a small grin graced his usually stoic cold face. He had indeed heard Rin call the little demon stupid, but Jaken did not need to know that.

"Hmm. I suppose…" he replied as he walked back inside and continued to tell the servants what to do.

Rin ran through the field of flowers until she finally got to the large white steps that led inside the castle. The doors were opened immediately by two fox demon servants and she ran through them, yelling a quick hello to them as she began running even faster. She wanted to find Sesshomaru as fast as she could. She ran through many hallways, all which were beautifully decorated. The walls were pure white with intricate sculpted designs of ancient demon drawings at their base. Exotic plants were at every corner of each hallway and they set a nice air to the white of the walls. The floor was a hard caramel colored wood. Some of the hallways were carpeted with beautiful royal blue carpets that had silver crescent moon patterns in them. She ran faster as she thought "When will these hallways end…I might get lost…not being here for a whole year isn't such a good thing after all." After running through five more hallways, she finally came to Sesshomaru's room. Jaken was standing outside his door, making sure that no one would disturb their Lord. His arms were folded and he turned his head when he noticed that Rin was standing a few feet in front of him, bent over as she tried to catch her breath.

"Master…Jaken…please…let me see…Lord Sesshomaru." She said completely out of breath after running for so long.

"I'm sorry Rin, but I cannot let you see M' Lord at the moment. He's quite busy." Replied Jaken as he stuck his nose up into the air.

"And why is he busy?"

"The reason our Lord is busy does not concern you."

"Master Jaken…just cut the crap and tell me why he's busy."

"I will do no such thing you rude child!"

"Child…" said Rin as her eyes began glowing white as she made the little imp-like demon float in the air and spin around in circles.

"ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT! I'LL TELL YOU! JUST PUT ME DOWN RIN!!"

"Hmph. That's what I thought."

"He's busy getting ready for the welcoming party."

"Welcoming party??"

"Yes. The other three Lords, along with some human Lords who's villages are protected by M' Lord, will be there. Your handmaidens were looking for you the entire time to help you get properly dressed for it. But they could not find you due to the fact that you were too busy rolling around in the flowers."

"Oh I see. Will you let me see Lord Sesshomaru anyways? I need to speak with him. It's important" She asked again as she stood tall in front of him.

"No Rin! Now go get ready for the-"

"Jaken. Leave her be." Stated Sesshomaru, from inside his room. Jaken frowned and glared at Rin who was now sticking her tongue out at him. "Rin. You may come." Stated Sesshomaru again; his voice much softer than before. Rin pushed Jaken out of the way as she opened the door to his room and walked inside, closing it behind her. The room was dimly lit; it was his office and there were shelves with thousands of books, scrolls and important documents on them that covered one large wall. His desk was sitting in front of this wall with papers and scrolls lying on top of its surface randomly. An ornate carpet of silver, dark blue and pale sky blue lay in the middle of the wooden floor in front of his desk. Two mahogany chairs stood on it, facing his desk. "Rin. Come." Said Sesshomaru as he looked up at the sky which had now become a bit darker, and you could see the stars beginning to reveal themselves. Rin looked around and then out on to the balcony after realizing where her Lord's voice had come from. She walked out onto the balcony and stood next to him, looking up at the sky.

"Rin." He said as he glanced down at her briefly before returning his gaze to the sky.

"Yes My Lord?" replied Rin as she began staring at him.

"Why are you not dressed?"

"No one came to get me My Lord. I would apologize but you forbid me to do so. If I had known about the welcoming party, I would have gotten ready, I assure you."

"It is not your fault. I will speak to Jaken of his inability to notify you on matters of great importance."

"Yes M' Lord." She said as she tilted her head so she could try to see his face.

"You wished to speak with me about something important. Rin." He stated more than asked as he continued to look at the sky. The moon was now visible and it hovered over the forest, emitting its silver light over the cherry blossom trees.

"Oh yes! Umm…you know how Jaken bickers sometimes…" she said as she looked down and bit her lower lip.

"Did you not say it was something important Rin." He replied as he raised an eyebrow after hearing her mention the little demon's name.

"Yes. I'm getting to that M' Lord. You know how he bickers sometimes…"

"Yes."

"And you know how he constantly refers to me as a child…"

"Yes. What is it Rin?"

"Do you think…"

"Does this Sesshomaru think what, Rin?" he asked as he finally turned his head to look down at her.

"Do you think of me and only see me as a child like he says!?" she asked, practically shouting at him as she looked up at him; her face covered with worry and fear of being rejected. Before Sesshomaru could answer her she put her face down so that her bangs covered her eyes completely, hiding them from view as she said "Forget I said anything…" She ran back into his office and was about to open the door, her hand already turning the knob, when she felt the strong arms of her Lord wrap around her waist. He spun her around and looked at her. Her eyes were watering and she looked as if she wanted to cry. He hated it when she cried, it was like someone wrenching at his heart over and over. "Rin…" he said as he looked at her; waiting for her to look back at him. She kept her head down and her eyes hidden from his view as a tear rolled down her cheek, crying silently. When she would not answer her he pushed her up against a wall and stood in front of her. One of his hands was right above her head and his other went to her chin to tilt her head so that he could see her face as he spoke again "Rin." She kept her eyes closed as her tears made their way down her rosy cheeks, landing on the tips of Sesshomaru's fingers "Rin. Look at me." She solely opened her eyes as she looked up at him. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes were filled with unshed tears and her lips had turned red; she was trying to stop herself from crying anymore than she already had.

"Yes…My Lord?" She replied as she struggled to keep anymore tears from falling; her voice was shaky and she sounded rejected.

"Pay Jaken no heed Rin. I do not think of you as a child." He replied as he stared down at her and moved his hand to cup her cheek.

"Really My Lord?"

"I thought of it as obvious Rin."

"Oh I see…Oh!" she replied just realizing what he meant.

"Rin." He said as he looked down at her; his eyes swirling with desire and his strong want of her. She opened her mouth to speak, but was graced with a kiss as his soft lips pressed to hers. The kiss was more passionate than the first one they had and involved tongue. Rin let out soft moans as their tongues battled for dominance; the kiss becoming deeper with every second. She let out another moan as she felt his arms go around her waist, pulling her body up against him. She then brought her hands up to his hair and ran her fingers through its silver locks before gripping onto it tightly. He sucked on her lower lip for awhile before trailing kisses down her jaw line and then onto her neck, which caused her to let out a soft gasp. "Lord…Sesshomaru…" she said as her breathing became faster from the kisses he was giving her. He picked her up into his arms and sat down with her into one of the chairs that were in front of his desk. Rin was now sitting on his lap sideways, and she was tracing random designs on his chest as he ran his fingers through her hair. It was then that she realized he was wearing a different kimono entirely.

He wore a jet black kimono with the same crest on its shoulders, except that they were white. The design of a crescent moon in white with silver mist-like clouds hovering around it and of pale gold stars behind the moon, decorated the front and sleeves of his kimono. Its sleeves were longer than his other one and it seemed to be longer as well. A midnight blue hakama covered his kimono with the same balloon like affect as his normal ones. A pale gold obi, the same color as the small stars on his kimono was tied around his waist and there were crescent moons at its ends in black. His whole attire was made of silk and it felt soft to the touch as Rin continued to run her fingers over it. The silver, almost white under kimono beneath this one complimented the colors of mist in front of the moon. She hadn't realized it, but her hand had found itself inside of his kimono and was now wrapped tightly around his waist as she nuzzled her face into his chest. Wrapping both arms around her waist, Sesshomaru looked deep into her eyes and said "Rin. I wish for you to refer to me with any name you wish when we're alone."

"Any name My Lord?" asked Rin with a surprised look on her face.

"Like you do with…that boy."

"Oh. A nickname. I'd be happy to."

"This Sesshomaru is curious as to what you will call him."

"You're very adorable when you're curious My Lord." Replied Rin as she lifted one of her hands to his face and kissed him gently on the lips. She felt his grip tighten around her waist and she smiled into the kiss and said "Koibito." His heart skipped a beat at hearing his new nickname…he was her sweetheart. He smiled at her and she began smiling even more brightly than before by the fact that she had been the one to make him smile. And she knew his smile was only for her and no one else. "Now Koibito, are you going to give me a nickname as well?" she asked playfully as she placed tiny kisses on his cheeks. Before he could answer her, Jaken burst into the room yelling "RIN! YOUR HANDMAIDENS REQUEST THAT YOU GET READY THIS INSTANT!!" He gulped after realizing what he was seeing and then again after seeing Sesshomaru's eyes turn a violent red. Although his markings had not changed and his expression was as stoic as ever, his eyes clearly indicated that he was pissed. He did not like being disturbed by anyone other than Rin, and Jaken knew this better than anyone. Jaken, who was in complete shock after seeing Rin sitting on their Lord's lap in such a way while kissing him, was brought back to his current state in time when Sesshomaru let out a deep annoyed growl. He looked up to see that both Rin and his Lord were now standing in front of him, and Rin was holding onto his arm tightly with one hand as she rubbed it with the other in an attempt to calm him down.

"Jaken." Said Sesshomaru in a deeper voice than usual; his anger clearly audible as he let out low growls.

"Y-y-y-y-yes M-m-m-my L-l-l-lord?" replied Jaken as he bowed down low onto the ground in an act of submission.

"Have I not instructed that I am never to be bothered without permission, under any circumstances?"

"Y-y-yes M-m-my L-l-lord."

"The fact that I have never said the opposite shows your impertinence."

"Forgive me My Lord!!"

"What would you have me do, Jaken? Shall I take another 100 years off of your life?"

"Yes My Lord!!"

"Consider yourself lucky Jaken. I don't usually show this thing human's refer to as 'kindness', but I doubt you will ever see it again."

"Yes My Lord! I am truly grateful!" exclaimed Jaken as he sat up slowly, tears hanging from his eyes as he smiled in relief. He quickly got up and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him. Sesshomaru returned his gaze to Rin who smiled up at him and hugged him quickly before placing a small kiss on his lips. She then headed towards the door and was about to open it when her Lord's arms reached around her waist again. He placed a small kiss at her temple and whispered "Hurry and get dressed Rin. The guests will arrive soon. I'll be waiting…Itoshii." Rin smiled and placed her hands over his; turning her head to kiss him again a bit longer. Walking out of the room, she closed the door slowly behind her, sure not to make any noise so that no one would notice. Her heart was pounding loud in her ears now…her Lord had given her a nickname…she was his…beloved.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

The guests had suddenly begun to arrive and the main hall where the parties and important gatherings were held was getting filled up rather quickly. Sesshomaru stood at the entrance of the main hall with Jaken standing next to him, ushering out orders every now and then to servants who would pass by. The human Lords had already arrived and they had brought hundreds of fresh lilies and jasmines with them as gifts. These flowers were of course presents for Rin, and anyone who knew Sesshomaru, knew that if you treated Rin with respect then he was likely to show some sort of 'kindness' towards you. His version of kindness, anyways. He had told the humans that Rin did not like the flowers that they would no longer have him to help their villages anymore. Turning his head to the large archway of the main hall which was a few feet away from him, he saw the Lord of the Southern Lands and his son, enter into the huge room.

They were dog demons as well except they weren't of the rare breed like Sesshomaru, for they did not have white fur, nor did they have silver hair while in their human form. Unlike Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Southern Lands had long pitch black hair that stopped at his knees. His hair was pulled up into a ponytail with two long pieces falling in front of his ears next to his bangs. The markings on his face were different from Sesshomaru's own as well. He had one large light blue stripe on either side of his face that curved down instead of up and instead of having a crescent moon on his head; he had a red hexagon in the middle with small circles at each point and one in the middle. His kimono was the same color as his stripes and it had the same hexagonal shape on its shoulders and sleeves in blue. His hakama was the same color and a white obi wrapped itself around his waist. The son looked just like him except that his hair was only shoulder length and the hexagon shape on the middle of his forehead was gold instead of red. Their kimonos were also the same color.

"Hello young Lord. Welcome back!" exclaimed the Lord of the Southern Lands as he and his son bowed low in front of Sesshomaru.

"Tsuyosa, are you not but a few years younger than I?" asked Sesshomaru as he raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed My Lord, I am. I meant nothing of it. I hope you've faired well on your journey."

"I have. Chikara has been learning from you about how the court operates I presume?"

"Yes he has! He's quite interested in knowing all about the court and running empires, but it seems something else has caught his attention."

"Something else you say?"

"Or perhaps I should say someone."

"Someone? And who might this someone be?" asked Sesshomaru as he looked down at Chikara with his usual cold stoic emotionless face.

"Come now Chikara! Do not be afraid to answer Lord Sesshomaru!" exclaimed Tsuyosa as he hit his son hard on the back. Chikara looked up at Sesshomaru and cleared his throat before smiling and saying "This someone would be your ward, My Lord." This shocked Sesshomaru greatly and stirred up something inside of him that he did not expect to be there; but nonetheless he did not show any emotion as usual. Raising an eyebrow, he studied the young boy for awhile. He was 100 years old which was very young in demon standards. Sesshomaru could see the desire for Rin in the boy's eyes. His Rin! The boy had said it so casually as if it was perfectly fine for him to have feelings for Rin. Rin was indeed extremely beautiful and he knew that many of the men there, demon and human alike, had fallen in-love with her beauty and kindness, Sesshomaru knew this and this young boy proved it to be true.

"Rin has caught your attention how?" asked Sesshomaru as he pretended not to care, but inwardly cursed the boy for his boldness.

"If I may be so bold My Lord, she has become extremely attractive. I won't deny that I desire her greatly." Chikara replied as he looked around the room as if looking for her.

"You'd do well not to speak of her that way while I am present boy." Stated Sesshomaru, as he emitted a warning growl from deep inside his throat.

"With all due respect Lord Sesshomaru, I do not need your permission to desire her."

"You're truly stupid aren't you, speaking your mind so freely when you know I could rid the world of your filth at any second."

"She's not yours anymore than she is mine."

"She is my ward. That makes her mine. You will cease speaking of her now!" he ordered as his eyes flickered red for a few seconds before changing back to their amber gold-ish color. Chikara was about to reply when Rin's voice was heard coming from the other side of the main hall. Standing there, at the other entrance that led to the rest of the castle, was Rin dressed in the most beautiful kimono Sesshomaru had ever seen her in. The kimono was a dress type kimono and went around her back and over her chest, instead of over her shoulders. Long flowing sleeves were attached to it and they covered her hands completely, hiding them from view. It was a pale gold much like the stars on Sesshomaru's kimono, and it had magenta and white orchid flowers all over it. The hem of her kimono was a thick pale blue and her kimono wrapped tight around her, showing her bare neck and shoulders and also her cleavage as it held on tight to her body. He noticed that her necklace rested right above her cleavage. "My Lord?" said Rin as she walked through the small crowd looking for him. "Rin." Said Sesshomaru, barely above a whisper, as he watched her walk over to him; she was smiling. He stared at her, her hair was curled and left flowing freely around her shoulders and her lips had been painted a bright red.

"I hope I am not too late My Lord. Although it does not seem that way." She said as she bowed low in front of him before turning to look at Lord Tsuyosa and Chikara "Hello Lord Tsuyosa, Sir Chikara, I hope you did not have any trouble getting here."

"Hello Rin. We did not have any trouble at all and we do not wish for any. Isn't that right son!?" replied Tsuyosa as he elbowed Chikara into his side.

"Yes father, we do not wish for any trouble. But might I say, you look absolutely breathtaking in that kimono Rin-san." Replied Chikara as he eyed her up and down.

"Why thank you. You're too kind." Rin replied as she stood next to Sesshomaru. She turned her head towards the archway to see the Lord of the Northern Lands walking towards them with 5 women trailing behind him. Rin raised her eyebrow and tilted her head slightly with curiosity as she wondered why he had five demonnesses with him. He was a little bit shorter than Sesshomaru and was very muscular. He wore a red cloak-like kimono with patterns of black stars and circles on its sleeves and the shoulder area. Being a rat demon, he had a long pink tail moving in random motions behind him. Long tawny brown hair fell down his shoulders, stopping at his waist and so did a beard and moustache that were the same length. Two green circles were at either side of his temples and seemed to move as he spoke.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Welcome back! We were beginning to think you would never return." Exclaimed the Lord of the Northern Lands as he stopped in front of Sesshomaru. "My, How you have grown Rin." He then said as he eyed her up and down. "Hello to you as well Lord Tsuyosa and young Lord Chikara."

"Hello." Replied Tsuyosa and Chikara simultaneously as they bowed slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous Ōgui. I have been away from the Western Lands longer than for a mere year." Replied Sesshomaru as he folded his arms and stared down at the rat demon.

"Hello Lord Ōgui…Nice to…make your acquaintance again." replied Rin as she faked a smile and bowed to him slightly. She looked up and noticed that he was staring at her cleavage. She had only met this man once when she was 16 and she never liked him.

"Very nice indeed young lady." Replied Ōgui as he grinned from ear to ear. He stopped scanning her body when he heard a low warning growl come from Sesshomaru; he bowed his head slightly in submission before looking back at him.

"Who are these women? Did I not make myself clear in the letters I sent to all of you?" asked Sesshomaru as he looked over at the women who seemed to blush upon being looked at.

"Five women? Your name does not do you justice Lord Ōgui." Replied Rin as she made a disgusted expression and her nose scrunched up. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, amused at the look she had on her face.

"Indeed Rin! You are greedier than I thought!" agreed Tsuyosa as he burst into laughter. It filled the large room, causing the servants to stare at him.

"Ahem! These women are not for me Rin. They are for your Lord." Replied Ōgui as he motioned his hand towards Sesshomaru.

"Am I going to have to threaten you Ōgui? Do not take this Sesshomaru for a fool. If you think I will reconsider taking a mate just because you brought different ones to choose from, you are greatly mistaken." stated Sesshomaru in a dark, ominous voice. Rin looked up at her Lord, her mind filed with questions that she wanted to ask him, but they would have to wait until they were alone.

"Ah! I apologize for not listening to you! I suppose I will have to keep them for myself. Although…I would..." Replied Ōgui as he tilted Rin's chin up and smiled at her. Sesshomaru growled very loud this time, and the servants almost messed up what they were doing when they heard him do this. His growl had scared all of them and they wondered who had angered him.

"Thank you Lord Ōgui. But if you insist on staring at me like that in such a disgusting manner, could you perhaps, make it less obvious?" asked Rin rhetorically as she pulled her face away from him and frowned "It's quite nauseating to bear it any longer."

"My, how spunky you are for a human." Replied Ōgui as he tried to grab her chin again but she snapped her teeth at him in an attempt to bite his hand "Have you not taught this woman any manners Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked as he then picked up a lock of her hair and twined it in between his fingers.

"She does have manners. It is you who does not have any manners 'Lord' Ōgui. Your title of Lord is much too high for you. You are quite the embarrassment of what it means to be a Lord." Replied Sesshomaru as he walked off, leaving the Lord of the Northern Lands speechless "Rin. Come." "Yes My Lord!" replied Rin as she bowed quickly before running off after him.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin had continued to stay by her Lord's side for the rest of the evening, due to the fact that many of the demons and human men as well, were constantly undressing her with their eyes. She was used to being stared at, but not quite this much. The Lord of the Eastern Lands had yet to arrive and Rin was beginning to wonder whether or not he was still coming. She knew that he and her Lord had been friends from their childhood and that he was probably the only other being on the planet that her Lord trusted, other than her, Jaken and Inuyasha (even though he would not admit it); he didn't even trust his own mother. Before she knew it, he had already grasped her tightly by her hand and was pulling her with him in some random direction. She smiled and looked up at him; she could see his features soften when he was holding her hand. Coming to an abrupt stop caused her to run into him. She rubbed her nose and walked next to him to see why he had stopped. Grinning from ear to ear, she was greeted with a hug from the tall man standing in front of her and Sesshomaru.

He was a little bit taller than Sesshomaru and he looked younger than him, when in actuality, he was older than him by 100 years. Dark black hair with red ends fell to the sides of his face and one large piece fell in front of his face and in front of his left eyes. His bangs were long and flowed to the side, giving a view of jade colored heart in the middle of his forehead. It was the same exact length as Sesshomaru's. Two wide yet thin, jade colored eyes stared at them and they seemed to be filled with joy and contentment. He wore a kimono much like Sesshomaru's except that the kimono half was blue and his hakama was white with a black belt-like obi around his waste. He was very kind and had loved Rin as soon as he met her. She was like the daughter he never had and he would constantly bring presents for her when he would visit. He had also liked Kohaku as well and they got along very well. He patted her on the head with one hand as he still hugged her with the other and rocked back and forth while saying "Rin! How I have missed you!" Sesshomaru made an 'Ahem' sound and folded his arms "Come now Sesshomaru, I missed you too! I don't assume that you want a hug as well." Sesshomaru made a grunting noise and stared at him coldly. "I thought not." Replied the Lord of the Eastern Lands as he laughed and let go of Rin. Rin looked up at him as if studying him; she did not know what kind of demon he was and she had never thought of asking before.

"I've missed you as well Jizenka-Sama!" replied Rin as she bowed low before him and stood back up smiling.

"Jizenka, I hope you've faired well." Stated Sesshomaru in a friendlier tone, which was a contrast to his usual cold monotonous one.

"I have faired very well. Welcome back Sesshomaru. I also hope that the both of you faired well on your long journey. It wasn't nearly as long as the one when you left for eight years." Replied Jizenka as he folded his arms and looked over at Rin and then back at Sesshomaru.

"He's travelled for eight years? When was this Lord Jizenka?" asked Rin as she looked from him to Sesshomaru over and over, waiting for an answer.

"He did not tell you??"

"Tell me what? What didn't you tell me M' Lord?"

"I left for the eight years you had stayed at Inuyasha's village. I did not return until you began travelling with me again when you turned 16." Replied Sesshomaru rather quickly as he closed his eyes. He did not want her to try and see what he was feeling.

"Come now Sesshomaru! Don't be embarrassed!" exclaimed Jizenka as he laughed again.

"My Lord…" said Rin as she smiled up at Sesshomaru and held onto his sleeve.

"Oh yes! I have brought someone to meet the both of you. Remember I've spoken to you about my sister Sesshomaru? Well here she is! You can finally meet her." Stated Jizenka as he then said "Kohaku, please bring Mikata now!" Kohaku appeared behind him, leading a very beautiful woman towards them by the hand. She was the same height as Rin and her hair was jut like her brother's except that it was red with black ends. Her ears were very pointed and had black earrings hanging from them. Her eyes were sapphire and thin and they contrasted with her porcelain skin tone nicely. Her kimono was a dress one like Rin's but it was white with splatters of jade green and gold on it. She smiled at Rin and Sesshomaru before bowing low in front of them. Her voice came out and it was high pitched yet very smooth as she said "It's an honor to finally meet my Onii-Sama's best friend. And you too as well Rin." Rin and Sesshomaru nodded and did a slight bow as well. "Mikata, how old are you? You look as if you are Rin's age." Asked Kohaku as he let go of her hand. "Yes I am the same age as Rin." Replied Mikata as she smiled over at Kohaku and then over at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow but his cold expression did not change.

"You are far more handsome than I imagined you would be Lord Sesshomaru." Stated Mikata as she leaned her head to the side, causing some of her hair to fall in front of her face even more.

"Hnn." Replied Sesshomaru, not caring at all for flattery.

"Haha! Mikata, flattery will get you nowhere. Although I doubt he'd act the same if it was Rin who told him that." Stated Jizenka as he winked at Rin, causing her to blush.

"Hehehe…Come now Jizenka-Sama! Don't be so silly!" squealed Rin as she let out a little nervous laugh.

"Is that so Oni-Sama? I see. Well surely you would at least let me have a dance with you My Lord." Replied Mikata as she listened to the music that had begun to play.

"Go on Sesshomaru! One dance will not kill you!" exclaimed Jizenka as he pushed Sesshomaru away with his sister and laughed. Kohaku stood next to Rin and was looking down at her. She seemed very annoyed and the evil emotion of jealousy was written all over her face. She could not dance with Sesshomaru even if she wanted to because she was still his ward. Kohaku placed an arm around her shoulder and said "Don't worry Rinny. I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru is not interested in her."

"I'm not worried about him Kohaku. I'm worried about her." Replied Rin as her eyes began flicking from white to chocolate brown over and over.

"Well she seems nice enough."

"That's why men are so clueless. She's up to something."

"Well I guess you have some competition then Rinny."

"Competition? HA! Don't make me laugh!" replied Rin as her eyes finally flickered to white and stayed that way as they began to glow.


	6. You Belong to Me

**Chapter 6**

Rin walked through the now crowded room until she was at a good distance where she could see her Lord and Mikata dancing together. She watched her Lord as he danced, he looked so graceful and she longed to dance with him one day. Her Lords eyes suggested otherwise, that he was very annoyed and reluctant to have to dance with that woman. Sesshomaru turned his gaze towards Rin when he noticed that she had been watching him. She smiled at him and she could see his desire to be with her in his eyes. But she knew that he was only dancing with Mikata because she was his best friend's sister. Her train of thought was broken when she heard the voice of someone she did not want to be around, say "Lonely my dear?"

"No. I was simply thinking." Replied Rin as she did not bother to look at Lord Ōgui, who was now standing next to her.

"About life?"

"You could say that."

"Wouldn't you rather join me for a dance?"

"No thank you. I think I'll decline your offer."

"In that case, would you like to do something else…" he said as his words trailed off and he reached for her butt, grabbing it in both of his hands, but he stopped immediately after being punched hard in the face. Rin had caused his mouth to bleed and his face was partially swollen.

"Hmph. I was holding back during that punch. You will do well to keep your hands off of me Lord Ōgui." She replied as she cracked her knuckles and glared at him.

"You will learn to let me do as I like woman!" he replied as he then tried to grab her breasts, only to be punched a second time in the same area. This time she had hit him so hard that she broke his nose and she heard his jaw crack twice; a bone pierced through his cheek which was now bleeding.

"Touch me again and I shall cut off that which gives you forbidden pleasure!!" she shouted which made everyone turn around to look at her.

"BITCH!!" he yelled as he attempted to claw her across her face. Rin's eyes glowed white as she prepared to protect herself, but didn't need to as a silver blur appeared in between her and the demon rat Lord. Lord Sesshomaru stood in front of her, holding Lord Ōgui in the air by his throat. His eyes had turned red and his stripes had become very jagged as he struggled to keep his demon blood from taking over. Rin had seen Sesshomaru kill humans and demons that had attempted to harm her, but she had never seen him show so much anger over the fact. During those times, he always wore his mask of illegibility and you'd swear he was not capable of feeling anything. Her eyes widened as she stared at her Lord. A small tornado like wind was gathering around him and was fusing with his youkai slowly. He squeezed tight around Ōgui's throat which caused him to scream in pain as Sesshomaru's claws injected poison into his system.

"Hnn. If you were not the Lord of the Northern Lands, I'd take pleasure in killing you." Stated Sesshomaru in a firm, evil-sounding tone.

"You…you wouldn't!" exclaimed Ōgui as he struggled to speak due to the numbness that was enveloping his body.

"You dare to think that I won't? Very well. DIE!" he replied as his whip of light appeared in his hand and he slashed him to pieces. The rat demons blood covered the white and black marble floor as the pieces of his body fell on top of each other. "May this be a lesson to you all." Stated Sesshomaru as he looked around the room, his eyes still red and his stripes still jagged. Every male in the room bowed down on the ground in an act of submission as they nodded their heads vigorously, while exclaiming "YES LORD SESSHOMARU!!" Sesshomaru turned to walk away but then stopped and glanced back at the pile of the rat demon that lay before him. "Hnn." He said as he reluctantly used Tenseiga to bring him back to life. He then walked away with Rin following after him and stopped again as he said "Vermin. Do well to know that the next time I kill you, it won't be possible for you to be revived." The rat demon Lord who was now back together, slowly got off of the floor and looked a bit afraid yet furious. Whispers could be heard as he began walking towards the other end of the hall where he could be far away from Sesshomaru and Rin. "SILENCE!" shouted Ōgui as he folded his arms and leaned up against a wall. The whispers stopped immediately and the pleasant sound of music filled the room once again.

Rin followed Sesshomaru into a dark hallway that was probably 3 hallways away from the main hall. She wondered why he was taking her so far away from everyone. He had been pulling her by her hand and had a tight grip on it. His grip was becoming much tighter and she said "Itai!" He loosened his grip and rubbed his thumb over it before looking down at her. She was breathing heavily from having walked for a long time. Sweat could be seen slowly appearing at the nape of her throat and slid down to the groove where her dress met her chest. "My Lord, why-" she began but was cut off as his lips crushed down on hers. Her eyes widened at his actions, she let out a small moan as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She was pinned between him and the wall and his hands were holding her against him by her hips. Opening her eyes, she saw that his eyes were opened slightly as they kissed. Her face flushed red, which caused him to smirk into the kiss as he then began kissing her neck. "Mmm…Koibito…" she whispered as she sifted her fingers through his hair. Sesshomaru kissed all the way down to where her cleavage was visible which caused her to let out another soft moan. He then licked all the way up, towards her neck, over her chin and back to her lips, greeting them with a soft passionate kiss. "Itoshii…never forget. You belong to me." He whispered into her ear as he nipped at it, sending shivers down her spine. "Yes…" she moaned out as she was graced with another kiss.

She then frowned as he pulled away from her reluctantly. They would have to return to the party. She poked out her lips into a pout-like frown which made him raise an eyebrow at her. He reached down and cupped her cheek in his hand as he stared at her. She leaned into his touch and smiled as she placed her hand over his. Getting caught up in the moment, she closed her eyes and let out a long 'Ahh…' sound. Sesshomaru ran his thumb over her check and pulled his hand away which made her frown again. She looked at him and he looked rather displeased, so she asked "What's wrong My Lord?"

"What did Lord Ōgui do to you?" he asked right away as his face became stoic and cold.

"First he asked me to dance and I declined. Then he grabbed my butt and I punched him."

"I see. What else happened?"

"He then tried to grab my breasts but I punched him even harder. I warned him I would. That's when he lost it and tried to attack me."

"I see." He replied and a few growls escaped his throat indicating that he was still somewhat angry. His eyes flickered to red when he remembered what Ōgui tried to do to his Rin.

"Koibito…I'm fine." She replied as she reached up to his face and rubbed her thumbs over his stripes.

"Hnn…"

"No one's going to take me away from you. I'm yours. Forever." She replied as she leaned up to kiss him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. She then let go and saw that he was back to normal and that his features had softened considerably. "We should head back now. Come Rin." He said as he walked off with her following close behind him. He always took long graceful strides whenever he walked and she had to walk rather fast to keep up with him. "Umm…My Lord. I would like to talk to you about something later on." Said Rin as she stopped walking; he also stopped and glanced over his shoulder to look at her out of the corner of his eyes. "OH! There you are!!" came the squeaky voice of Mikata as she came running towards them, holding her kimono up a bit so that she could run faster. She stopped in front of Sesshomaru and looked from him to Rin over and over as she said "Onii-Sama wanted to talk to you Sesshomaru-Sama." Sesshomaru hadn't looked at her because he was still looking at Rin. He stared at her and she read what was in his eyes, before turning his head to look at Mikata. "You said he wishes to speak with me correct?" asked Sesshomaru as he began walking off and went pass her. "Yes!" replied Mikata as she bowed towards him as he passed. She then stood straight up and was about to run after him when Rin grabbed her by the hand. Mikata stopped and turned around as she said "Yes?"

"Come with me, let's talk for a while." Replied Rin with a fake smile on her face.

"Alright. What do you want to talk to me about?"

"How have you liked the party so far?"

"Oh I love it! This castle is so beautiful! Ours isn't as nearly as large."

"Is that right? It's nice that you are enjoying yourself. What was your favorite part so far?"

"I'd have to say that dancing with your Lord was my favorite."

"I see. Interesting. What do you like about him?" asked Rin as she raised her eyebrows at her.

"The way he's so graceful, and he always seems so cold and mysterious." She replied as her cheeks flushed a bright pink and she let out a sigh "What do you think of him Rin? You've lived with him ever since you were a child right?"

"He's not as mysterious as you might think. He's very cold on the outside and he's not an emotionless statue. I understand him better than anyone because I have known him for so long."

"I see. Is that so Rin? If I didn't know any better I'd say you loved him. I doubt he feels the same way about you, although you do seem to be close."

"Well I do love him. You got something to say about it?"

"Yes. I want him!"

"Well too bad!" snapped Rin as she stood tall a few inches over Mikata.

"Too bad!? Don't tell me you're his mate!?" replied Mikata with a look of disbelief on her face.

"No I'm not. But he would never take someone like you as his mate!"

"Someone like me!?"

"YES! You're too obsessed with your looks and are quite stuck up! I doubt My Lord would want you!!"

"You're saying he'd prefer a girl who loves to run around barefoot through fields of flowers and through the woods!?" exclaimed Mikata as she stuck her nose into Rin's face.

"That's exactly what I'm saying!!" shouted Rin as she stuck her nose in Mikata's face.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Sesshomaru had just arrived back at the main hall and walked off looking for Jizenka. Walking pass Ōgui, he let out a low warning growl as he glanced briefly at him to see that he was surrounded by the five women he had brought with him, and he lowered his head in submission. Sesshomaru could still see the swollen part of his face where Rin had punched him. He felt happy knowing that she could handle herself without his help but he couldn't help but want to protect her. He had vowed to protect her no matter what after she had died a second time when she had been taken into the meido by that hell hound his mother had summoned. That day was probably the first time in all his life that he had actually ever cried…He would never lose her again. His thoughts were interrupted when a hand rested on his shoulder. He jerked his head up to see that Jizenka was standing in front of him with a concerned look on his face. Sesshomaru regained his composure and looked at Jizenka as he said "Mikata said you wanted to speak with me."

"Yes I do. Are you alright Sesshomaru?" asked Jizenka as he tried to read what his friend was feeling.

"Hnn. What did you want to speak with me about?"

"I was wondering if it would be alright for me to stay here for awhile. There is a half-demon village somewhere near here and its Lord has requested to meet with me."

"Stay as long as you wish to Jizenka."

"Thank you, your kindness is most appreciated Sesshomaru. I knew you had some kindness in you somewhere!" he replied as he let out a loud hard laugh.

"Your sister will be going back to the Eastern Lands I presume?"

"No actually she wanted to stay with me. She's becoming rather annoyed of all the lessons mother is arranging for her." He replied as he scratched the side of his head a bit nervously.

"Is that so?"

"I hope we will not be too much trouble for you." He replied as he turned his head after hearing a loud noise "What was that!?" A loud noise that sounded like a laser gun charging could be heard as the sound of an explosion came after it and smoke appeared from the entrance Sesshomaru had just come from. "That sound…it's the sound of one of my sister's attacks." Stated Jizenka as a worried look appeared on his face. Sesshomaru and Jizenka's eyes widened at the next thing they saw. They saw Mikata fly backwards out of the smoke with Rin walking out of it, holding her fan in her right hand. She snapped her fingers and a large puff of green smoke surrounded her. When it disappeared, she was no longer wearing her dress kimono; she was wearing her demon slayer outfit and had her poison mask over her face. People and servants ran out of her way as she began spinning her fan between her fingers with complete ease. "OUT OF MY WAY!!" shouted Mikata as she began running towards Rin with red fireballs in each of her hands. She threw them at Rin while Rin made an electric ball of purifying light and green demon energy from the corners of her fan and threw it at her. Both of their orbs hit each other causing a huge explosion, which left a large crater in the middle of the floor. "My word! I knew Rin could fight but I did not know it was because she was a demon slayer!" exclaimed Jizenka as he grinned from ear to ear enjoying the new entertainment. Rin jumped backwards, her feet landing on the wall behind her and Mikata did the same, landing on the wall behind her; they both then jumped off at lightening speed, flying towards each other. Just before they were about to collide, Jizenka and Sesshomaru grabbed both of them by the arms in the blink of an eye.

"Mikata! Just what were you doing to have attacked Rin like that!" exclaimed Jizenka as he began scolding his little sister.

"We just had a little disagreement…that's all. Isn't that right Rin?" replied Mikata as she looked over at Rin.

"Yes a disagreement indeed!" replied Rin as she made a 'Hmph' sound and folded her arms.

"Don't make Rin lie for you Mikata. Honestly…Sesshomaru I am sorry. I'll be sending her home right away." Stated Jizenka as he switched his attention to Sesshomaru, who seemed somewhat surprised and entertained by the whole matter.

"The both of you may stay if you like." Replied Sesshomaru in his normal tone as he folded his arms.

"EHHHHHHHH!?" exclaimed Rin as her eyes went wide. Everyone then looked from Mikata to her. She had a very unpleasant look on her face.

"I owe you on this one Sesshomaru! I suppose you all should leave now! Forgive my sister for her wrecking of the main hall." Stated Jizenka as he bowed low towards everyone and then stood up as he watched everyone leave. Tsuyosa and his son Chikara walked over to them and bowed down as they both said "It was a pleasure being here. Thank you for your hospitality." Chikara grinned in Rin's 

direction as he said "And for that entertainment at the end. That demon slayer suit does fit you exceptionally well Rin-san." Sesshomaru turned his head to glare at the young demon which caused him to jump back in fear. He had seen what Sesshomaru had already done to the Lord of the Northern Lands and he did not want to end up like him. "HAHA! Chikara means no harm. He is simply a fool with a loose tongue! We best be going! COME CHIKARA!" shouted Tsuyosa as he slapped his son upside the head and dragged him off by his ear.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jaken and Rin followed closely behind Sesshomaru, they were right on his heels. They had helped the servants clean up everything since the party had ended early. Rin only had to clear the bits and pieces of marble and stone away from the main hall that the craters had made, with Mikata's help of course. Jizenka had already been showed to his room and so had Mikata. She had been a bit upset because she had hoped to be shown to her room by Sesshomaru. Rin had stuck out her tongue at her and walked off. "_Honestly…what was that child thinking!_" thought Jaken as he looked over at Rin who was running right next to him. "_Hmm! That's it! I'll ask her!_" he thought as he then said "RIN! What on earth were you thinking!? Attacking the Lord of the Eastern Land's sister!! Do you have no brain in that little head of yours?"

"I do have a brain. Master Jaken. And besides, sister of the Lord of the Eastern Lands or not, it doesn't make a difference to me." Replied Rin as she glared down at the little imp-like demon. She was still wearing her demon slayer outfit and she knew he was intimidated by it, especially when she had her fan with her.

"I swear you do not have any manners Rin."

"Oh I do Master Jaken. I show them to people who deserve it."

"I see."

"Don't you think that if I didn't have any manners that I'd have hurt you really bad by now Master Jaken?" she asked as she smiled over at him.

"Rin, smiling after saying something like that is rather disturbing." He replied as he folded his arms and a water droplet appeared at the side of his face.

"HAHA! Come now Master Jaken! Although you may be extremely annoying and make me want to kill you at times, I still love you!"

"That's even more disturbing Rin…" he replied which then caused Rin to burst out laughing. They both stopped when they realized they had reached the door which led to Sesshomaru's bedroom. Jaken bowed down to both of them after saying goodnight and then walked away. "Well…goodnight My Lord!" exclaimed Rin as she bowed down to Sesshomaru and turned to head to her room, but was pulled into his room quickly. Sesshomaru had pulled her into his bedroom and locked the door. The room was dark, but brightened up considerably when Sesshomaru lit some of the candles that were sitting in wall stands. A large pale blue carpet blanketed the entire floor and there were gold circles covering it in random directions. The walls were a midnight blue and there were paintings of ancient 

demon folklore tales hanging on them. A large low king-sized bed sat up against one of the walls and it was covered with three different sheets and many pillows of every shape and size. The first sheet that covered the entire bed was a white, the next sheet was a bit thicker and was a pale golden yellow with intricate elegant designs sewn into the fabric, it stopped where the pillows were; the last cover was extremely thick and seemed to be made from a very large furry animal. It was a bit lighter than the color of the walls and there was one large crescent moon shape in the middle of it, surrounded by white misty, fog-like clouds. Rin turned her head to see that his swords and his armor were sitting in a corner, leaned up against a wall. She watched as Sesshomaru began undoing his obi and she felt her cheeks become heated as her heartbeat increased. Sesshomaru looked up at her, having heard the increase of her heartbeat and raised an eyebrow. She had practically seen him naked already, so he didn't know why she was always so nervous. Spinning around quickly, she snapped her fingers and her outfit changed to her under kimono as she walked out onto his balcony. He was very curious as to how she kept on doing that, but he would ask her that later.

Rin leaned against the smooth stone railing of the balcony as she looked down at the garden. The moon was very high now and its light blanketed the colorful flowers like silver snow. The wind blew past her and undid the tight curls from her hair. Her hair flowed over her shoulders and her back freely and she moved her leg and rubbed it up against the other one, as her hair was tickling it. She took in a deep breath and then remembered what she wanted to talk to Sesshomaru about. Spinning around, she hit something hard. Looking up, she saw Sesshomaru standing directly behind her. He looked from her to the moon and then to her again as he said "What happened between you and Mikata to make you so angry?" Rin darted her eyes away from his intense gaze and let out a nervous laugh as she darted pass him into the bedroom. She felt herself being thrown onto his bed and she looked up to see that he was staring down at her with both of his hands pressed on either side of her. "Rin. Will you not tell me what happened?" he said as he brought his face down, only inches away from hers as his hair fell over her face, tickling her slightly. Rin bit her bottom lip as her cheeks became heated again and vigorously shook her head. "Oh?" he replied as he brought his lips down to her neck and kissed her as he sucked on to an area right below her left ear. A soft moan escaped her mouth as he kissed down lower until he reached right above her cleavage. Her hands went up into his hair and moved around in it as she grasped it tightly while gasping "I can't…tell you…" His hot breath against her skin sent shivers up her spine as he said "Even if you won't tell me, I already know Rin."

"You do?" she asked as she let out another moan as he continued to kiss her neck.

"I know that you were jealous because she danced with me. And you only get angry when taunted greatly. She provoked you and said something you did not like. Am I correct Rin?"

"Mmm…Yes…"

"Now…I'd like to know how you change from one outfit to the next with the mere snap of a finger."

"Another…Mmm…ability given to me…Mmm…by the war fan."

"The powers of this fan are quite fascinating." He replied as he stopped kissing her neck to look down at her and run his fingers across her cheeks. Rin finally calmed down and looked up at him and remembered that she had something to ask him. She frowned slightly and held her head down somewhat as she said "My Lord..."

"What is it Rin?" he asked as he tilted her head towards him so that he could stare into her eyes.

"Why don't you want a mate My Lord?"

"It's not that I don't want a mate Rin. I just don't want to be arranged with someone, and I'm quite sure my mother has thought of it. She's already tried to many times."

"Oh. I noticed she was not here."

"Yes. That is precisely why she was not invited. But that rat demon did not honor my wishes when he brought those concubines."

"I did not realize they were concubines, but I figured as much."

"If I want anyone as a mate Rin, it's you. My Itoshii…" he said as he kissed her gently and yet hungrily at the same time. Rin returned his kiss and pulled away reluctantly.

"You're going to refuse your own best friend's sister?"

"Is there a problem with me doing so Rin? Unless you do not find this Sesshomaru fit enough to be your mate."

"Koibito…I would be overjoyed to be your mate. But…what about the fact that I'm a human?"

"Does this Sesshomaru look worried, Rin?" he asked as he kissed her forehead. She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met as they kissed each other passionately. They fought for dominance as their tongues twisted and danced together. She shuddered as she felt his chest press against her breasts which had now become even perkier than normal. Noticing this, he kissed her rougher as he moved one of his hands to pull her kimono open to show her fairly large bare breasts. She didn't seem to realize this until he moved his mouth over one of her hardened nipples. She let out a loud moan and she gasped as he suckled it into his mouth. He flicked his tongue over it and around it in circles until it turned a bright pink and he took it into his mouth again. She moaned out his name this time and he moved his mouth over to the other one to give it the same attention. Fisting her hands through his hair, she pulled him down over her, allowing him to take more of it into his mouth. He breathed over her now bright pink nipple and it made her shiver under him.

Licking them one last time he moved his mouth over hers and kissed her rougher than before as he massaged her breasts with his hands. He squeezed their nipples between his thumbs and his forefingers and rubbed them in circles until they had hardened completely. She moaned into his mouth and she wrapped her legs around him, instinctively as he continued to tease her. He pressed himself against her, allowing her to feel his full erection as he grinded on her. How he wished to be rid of his hakama but he would not let his demon blood take over as he continued to move his body onto hers in a rhythmic motion which caused her to moan out his name. He then ripped off her kimono quickly and tossed it aside as he trailed kisses all the way down to her belly button. He then stopped and looked down at the beautiful woman in front of him. He could not take her yet because she was in heat and he did not want to have a pup right when he had taken a mate. He scanned every inch of her body. Her breasts were large, perfectly round and firm, yet so soft and her stomach was smooth and flat with her tiny belly-button inviting him to kiss it; her waist was in very deep and her hips curved out wide as they met with 

her firm smooth thighs; long graceful legs stuck together as they hid his desired area away from him. He then noticed that she was panting and she stuck her finger into her mouth and sucked on it for while before saying "Koibito…" He couldn't take it…the way she moaned out his name and the word 'Koibito' drove him absolutely insane. His lips crushed down on hers and he massaged one of her breasts as his other hand found the entrance to her sex. He slipped a finger in which caused her to gasp into his mouth as he continued to kiss her. He slid his finger in and out a few times, allowing her to get used to the feeling until he then pushed two fingers inside. She moaned into his mouth and her legs spread apart slowly, allowing him more entrance. He moved his mouth to her ear as he said "I'm going to mark you Itoshii…it will hurt." She nodded and fisted her hands through his hair as she felt him sliding his fingers in and out of her faster and faster. She was about to let out a moan when she was greeted with a sharp pain in her neck that went down her shoulder and up her back. The pain was numbed as she then went into a climax from the pleasure he was giving her. He then licked the blood away from the mark and lay down on the bed next to her as he pulled her into his arms. "You belong to me Rin." He whispered as he kissed her on her mark. "Forever and ever Koibito…" she replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Rin woke up early the next morning and let out a long yawn. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room. Sesshomaru had brought her back to her room. She frowned but it quickly turned into a smile as she remembered what had happened between them last night. The bright yellow light of the sun shown in through her balcony and illuminated the colorful room. Her walls were a pale yellow and paintings of all kinds of flowers hung on the walls. A large pile of pillows of pale pinks, rosy pinks and whites covered her bed. She lay underneath a white frilly sheet with patterns of flowers on it in magenta and yellow that went in every direction. Tiny green leaves graced them, complimenting the petals of the brightly colored flowers. She placed her feet onto the soft white carpet and scrunched her toes in between its fluffiness. "_Why didn't he let me stay in his room? It would've been so nice to wake up in his arms. I'm sure he has a good reason though._" She thought as she stood up slowly. The area between her legs ached and so did the place on her neck where he had marked her. Walking towards a mirror, she flipped her hair over her shoulder to see that the mark of his crescent moon had appeared in the area he had bit her. She could still see his fang marks in her neck, but they were fading away slowly. A knock at her door brought her from out of her thoughts. "Come in!" replied Rin as she moved her hair back over her neck.

"Good Morning Rinny!!" came the voice of Kohaku and a woman as they entered into the room. Rin let out a loud squeal as she spun around and hugged the woman who had walked in with Kohaku. The woman was the same height as Rin and she had long sapphire blue hair that stopped at her knees. Two large metallic pink eyes stared at her and seemed to be smiling. Her nose was rather pointed and her bright pink lips were curled up into a bright smile. She wore a kimono with a rainbow of colors that then faded into white near the very bottom. Her body was slender and she was very shapely yet not as much as Rin was. Two pointed ears poked out from either side of her head and at the very top of her head were a set of metallic green antennae that seemed to change color with the light. A fluttering sound could be heard coming from behind her where two transparent metallic green wings flapped constantly, indicating how overjoyed she was. She was a very rare, dragonfly demon, and she was one of Rin's handmaidens as well as hers and Kohaku's best friend.

"TONBO-CHAN!! HOW WE'VE MISSED YOU!!" exclaimed Rin as she squeezed the woman very tightly.

"I missed the both of you a lot as well Rinny!! I'm sorry I had to miss that hilarious display you and that awful girl put on yesterday." Replied Tonbo as she giggled slightly. She was the same age as Kohaku.

"You should have seen it. Rin getting all worked up because the girl wants Sesshomaru!" exclaimed Kohaku as he shook his head.

"But she doesn't stand a chance Rin. Oh she is terribly dreadful you know." Added Tonbo as she rolled her eyes.

"You've met her?" asked Rin as she sat down in between Tonbo and Kohaku who were now sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Oh yes! This morning My Lord asked me to go help her since you weren't awake yet. I had to bring her breakfast. First I brought her bacon and eggs and then she says 'I don't want this' right after she asked me for it you know! And then she asks me for pancakes with extra syrup and butter so I bring it to her and she says again 'I don't want this' again you know! Well bloody hell, I asked her one more time, yes I did and guess what she asked for this time!" replied Tonbo as she folded her arms.

"What did she ask you for this time?" asked Kohaku and Rin simultaneously.

"Water! Can you believe it? Who only has water for breakfast? That's what I thought but I brought it to her again. And she refused it again! Yes she did! And just when she was about to ask for something else I said 'Go get it yourself you lazy bum' and I poured the water all over her head. Oh I laughed for a good while after that." Replied Tonbo as she burst into laughter again and Kohaku and Rin laughed with her.

"Might I be mistaken Rin, but you sure do seem happier than usual." Stated Kohaku as he looked her over.

"Indeed she does Kohaku. Might that be My Lord's scent I smell coming from you! OH!" replied Tonbo as she pressed her hands to her cheeks "And what's that I see!?"

"Yes you both are right. Lord Sesshomaru marked me last night!" replied Rin as she grinned from ear to ear and lifted her hair over for them to see the mark "That Mikata woman is still trouble."

"Well congratulations! It shouldn't be too hard to take care of her Rinny." Stated Kohaku as he ruffled Rin's hair a bit.

"Indeed! Let's get her Rinny! Let's get her good!" exclaimed Tonbo as she smiled brightly.


	7. Reborn

**Chapter 7**

After Rin got dressed, she found Kohaku and Tonbo who had been waiting down the end of the hall outside of her room and they headed towards the dining room to have breakfast. Tonbo, along with Rin's other handmaiden's, was treated differently because Rin liked them so much; Tonbo was treated especially different due to the fact that she was Rin's other best friend. Tonbo and Kohaku hummed a soft tune that Rin recognized as one of the songs they performed together when they had to help with the entertainment. Unconsciously, she began bobbing her head to the soft sound of the soprano and base of their voices as she drifted deep into thought; remembering what happened when she began travelling with her Lord again.

**Flashback…**

"RIN! Come on! Lord Sesshomaru is waiting child!" exclaimed Jaken as he tapped his feet at the door of Rin's room. "I'm coming Master Jaken!" exclaimed Rin as she ran off after the little imp-like demon, carrying a small bag in her hand. She had just turned 16 that spring and it was now summer; Sesshomaru had promised her that he'd come get her by the day after the first full moon. She had grown a lot over the past 8 years and was becoming a young woman. Her hair was long and stopped at her waist. Secretly, she wanted her hair to grow so long so that it could be the same length as her Lord's one day, so she never ever cut it. A long silk cerulean blue kimono hung onto her tightly as she shouted a quick goodbye to Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku, their children and Kaede. "I'LL COME VISIT SOON!!" exclaimed Rin as she jumped up and down waving her last goodbye. The rays from the sun made the white and pink Lavender flowers embroidered into her kimono shimmer like jewels as it bounced up and down.

Her eyes then widened and shown brightly with so much happiness that it was blinding. A few yards away from her stood her Lord leaned up against a tree; the wind playing with his hair as it lifted it up and around his shoulders, making it appear to float. He still looked the same and she smiled, content that he hadn't changed one bit since she'd been away. Of course she didn't think he would change since he was a dog demon, but she still felt reassured to see him the same way he always did. His eyes opened slightly as he turned his head to look in her direction. Her heart jumped in her chest and into her throat as she began to feel somewhat nostalgic. "LORD SESSHOMARU!!" she exclaimed as she pushed herself to run faster, zooming past the little demon almost giving him a heart attack at how fast she was going. Sesshomaru's eyes also went extremely wide at how fast she was going and he had to walk a bit away from the tree so that if she decided to jump towards him, she wouldn't hit him against it. She let out a loud squeal as she jumped towards him, becoming caught in his arms as the speed she had been going at caused her to push him down. He lay there in amazement at how fast she could run, and if he didn't know she was human, he'd swear she was running as fast as a child demon.

He lay there letting Rin squeeze him as tight as she possibly could, which was rather strong considering she was…well, human. "OH MY LORD! I've missed you so much! I know I've gotten to see you a lot during the year but I still missed you so much!! I'm never going to go away ever again!" squealed Rin as tears of joy fell down her cheeks and soaked his royal white kimono. When Jaken finally caught up to her, he began screaming at her for jumping on their Lord like that "RIN! DO YOU HAVE NO MANNERS?! GET OFF OF OUR LORD THIS INSTANT!!" "NO!" replied Rin as she hugged Sesshomaru tighter. Sesshomaru let out a long sigh and struggled to stand up with her weight pinning him down on the ground. Finally standing, he looked down at Rin who was still holding onto him for dear life and he 

heard her say a little bit softer than a whisper "I hope this isn't a dream…" If it had not been for his enhanced senses, he would have never heard her say anything. Jaken then began cursing as he grabbed both of Rin's feet and began pulling her while she still held onto her Lord around his chest. "RIN!! LET GO!!" snapped Jaken as he tried with all his might to pull her away from their Lord. "NO MASTER JAKEN!!" replied Rin as she held on tighter to the straps holding his armor around his chest; even though the metal was hard against her face, she would not let go.

"Jaken." Sesshomaru finally said as he let out a long annoyed sigh at the little demons behavior.

"Yes My Lord?" asked Jaken as he continued to pull at Rin's feet.

"Release Rin."

"But My Lord-!"

"Jaken!"

"Yes Sesshomaru-Sama!!" he replied as he let go of Rin immediately and bowed down onto the ground. "Rin." Said Sesshomaru as he watched Rin look up into his eyes and felt her grip loosen around his chest. She smiled up at him like she had always done ever since she was a child. He put his hand on her head and ran it through her hair as he said "This Sesshomaru has missed you as well Rin." Her eyes brightened even more, if at all possible as she let out a loud squeal and hugged him tight again.

**End of Flashback…**

Her thoughts were broken when she heard Tonbo and Kohaku exclaim simultaneously "GOOD MORNING SESSHOMARU-SAMA!!" She looked up to see that Tonbo and Kohaku were still holding onto her hands and bowing low to her Lord who was standing in front of them with a raised eyebrow.  
"AH! GOOD MORNING MY LORD!" exclaimed Rin as she also bowed towards her Lord and in between Kohaku and Tonbo who were stifling giggles in their throats. "Did you attend to Mikata, Tonbo?" asked Sesshomaru as he looked over at Tonbo who stood and clasped her hands in front of her before bowing her head slightly and saying "Of course My Lord! I did it right away! As soon as you asked me to!" He then looked down at Rin and Kohaku who were still bowed down, holding hands. A strange feeling punctured his chest area when he noticed it but brushed it away as he then said "Rin. Come." Kohaku and Tonbo moved out of his way as he walked pass them. "I'll find you guys soon alright?" whispered Rin as she smiled at them and ran off after her Lord.

She followed him into his bedroom and watched as he locked the door. She sat down at the edge of his bed and bit her lower lip as she waited for him to speak. He sat down next to her and she looked up to see that his face had softened the way it always does when he's around her. Running his fingers through her hair, he rested his hand on her cheek and cupped it as he tilted her head to kiss her other cheek; pulling her to him he could hear her take in a deep breath before she began to relax against him and listened to his heart beat. Opening his mouth to speak, he stopped when he noticed a yawn escape her. A habit she had gotten when she was a child, the sound of his heart beat always seemed to put her to sleep. Before she could doze off, he tilted her chin up and kissed her gently, causing her to snap awake and return the kiss.

"Rin." He said as he took in a deep breath of her scent. She smelled of the flowers in the fields, milk, vanilla and honey…and of him.

"Yes Koibito?" she asked as she looked up at him with curious eyes.

"I want to…"

"Yes?"

"This Sesshomaru would like…" he tried to say again but his words trailed off. It wasn't easy for him to say what he was feeling.

"What is it My Lord?"

"This Sesshomaru wants to apologize."

"Apologize? Why would you want to apologize?" she asked as her eyes went wide in confusion.

"I let my demon nature control me…last night…did I hurt you?"

"You don't need to apologize to me Koibito…No you did not hurt me. I'm fine really. I enjoyed every minute of it."

"Are you sure Rin?"

"Yes. I'm very sure. I'd love to do it again." she replied as she smiled seductively at him and leaned up to place a kiss right under his ear.

"You are quite the vixen Rin. It puzzles this Sesshomaru where you got it from."

"My Lord…may I-"

"Do not refer to me as such when we're alone Rin, Itoshii." He stated as he put his finger to her lips to silence her.

"Sesshomaru…" she said which made her heart beat slightly faster "May I ask why you placed me back in my room this morning? Am I not your mate now, and you mine?"

"It was done with great reluctance Rin. You are my mate but I plan to let all the Lord's know at the next meeting so there will be no misunderstandings or unnecessary conflict."

"Oh, that's fine. I understand. You want it to be so that no one will trouble me about it."

"Precisely."

"I love you Sesshomaru…you always have my best interests at heart…" she replied as she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips. His breath hitched slightly after hearing her tell him she loved him. He also loved her but he found it hard to express verbally. Wrapping his arms around her tightly as he kissed her 

back gently, he spoke in between kisses "Rin…I…" Rin pulled away from the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck and stared deep into his eyes to see the love for her that lay deep within his soul. She put her finger to his lips as he tried to say what was in his heart and she said "You love me too Sesshomaru…I know you do more than anything." He opened his mouth to object but she silenced him with a deep passionate kiss. It would have continued but a loud knock was heard on the door as Jaken shouted "Your breakfast is ready M' Lord!!" Sesshomaru frowned and hugged Rin tighter as he continued to kiss her. Jaken's annoying voice only became octaves louder as they continued to ignore him. Finally becoming agitated by the little demon's squeaky voice, Sesshomaru stood up, breaking free of Rin's hold rather quickly as he walked over to the door and opened it to make Jaken fall flat on his face. "AH! MY LORD!!" exclaimed Jaken when he noticed that Rin was also in the room again. Jaken shivered at the sound of his Lord's voice "Jaken." "Y-y-y-yes M-m-m-my L-lord?" replied Jaken as he slowly looked up at Sesshomaru to see an evil smile on his face. "Run." He ordered as he watched the small imp-like demon scream at the top of his lungs and run away from him. Before Sesshomaru could walk after him, Rin hugged him from behind and tiptoed as she whispered in his ear "Don't be too hard on him Koibito." He looked at her out of the corner of his eyes before walking down the hall.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Walking down the long bright hallways, Rin held up the bottom of her lilac colored silk kimono with one of her hands as she dragged her fingers across the wall. The sound of music could be heard coming from the dining hall and Rin recognized the song that was being sung. Picking up her kimono a bit higher, she began running until she finally got to the dining hall. There on a leveled piece of ground that was higher than the normal one, stood Tonbo singing one of Rin's favorite songs while Kohaku played his guitar. It was a gift Kagome had given him when he turned 21 and he treasured it greatly. She had taught him how to play until he became better than her. Rin danced to the tune as she made her way pass servants and over to the long piece of glass covered wood that was the dining table. Sitting down next to Jizenka, she smiled as he said "Good morning Rin! I hope you slept well." Rin blushed as she remembered what happened and said "Yes, I slept very well. Did you sleep well Jizenka-Sama?"

"Yes I did indeed. I need to remember to ask Sesshomaru what those beds are filled with. They are certainly very relaxing!" replied Jizenka as he grinned from ear to ear.

"That's good to know." Replied Rin as she let out a laugh.

"Indeed it is Rin." He replied as he turned his head towards the entrance of the dining hall. Both he and Rin tilted their heads from left and then to right as they watched Jaken run into the room, screaming at the top of his lungs "PLEASE FORGIVE ME MY LORD!!" Sesshomaru walked into the room at his usual pace and stared down at Jaken for a few minutes before walking over to the table and saying "Do not let it happen again Jaken." "Yes M' Lord!" replied Jaken as he scurried off into the hallway. Jizenka was laughing hysterically and Rin had to slap him on the back as he had caused himself to choke on a piece of sausage. After Jizenka regained his composure he coughed into his fist and looked at Sesshomaru who was now sitting across from him. "What an interesting way to start off your morning Sesshomaru!" said Jizenka as he looked from Sesshomaru to Rin continuously. Rin smiled and nodded nervously and even though she wasn't looking at Sesshomaru, she could tell that he was staring at her. The sound of footsteps came into the room and they all looked up to see Mikata with a fowl look on her face as she walked towards them rather quickly.

She had made herself look very dressed up even though it was just breakfast. A long green satin kimono with black swirling patterns on it draped over her small body and her long dark red hair flowed over her shoulders while the rest was pinned up with a jade comb that had been embedded with gold stone. The only ones sitting at the table were her, Rin, Jizenka and Sesshomaru. She smiled brightly from ear to ear; if she had smiled anymore Rin swore her face would be stuck like that permanently. She was smiling so much because she got to sit next to Sesshomaru who wasn't even paying any attention to her. Rin rolled her eyes and inwardly sighed; had her Lord come to the dining hall the same time as her then she would be sitting next to him instead. Ignoring the strange expressions she was being given by Mikata, she picked up a few pieces of the sausage from a bowl and placed them onto her plate, along with a large helping of fried eggs and strawberries with cream.

"Did you not eat already Mikata?" asked Sesshomaru as he raised an eyebrow at the small woman sitting next to him. He remembered that he had asked Tonbo to do it since all the other servants had been busy.

"No I did not. That handmaiden of Rin's was quite rude to me!" replied Mikata as she poked out her lips before piling pancakes onto her plate with blueberries and raspberries on top of them with thick whipped cream.

"How was she rude to you Mikata?" asked Jizenka as he popped a sausage into his mouth.

"She would not give me what I wanted! And then she actually had the audacity to pour water on my head when I asked her for some!!" replied Mikata as she let out a small growl which was rather un-lady-like. "YOU!!" she then exclaimed as she looked up to see Tonbo and Kohaku standing behind Rin and Jizenka.

"Hello there again little missy. Not having water anymore eh? Finally decided to eat some real food?" replied Tonbo as she placed her hands on her hips and hovered off of the ground slightly.

"Tonbo? You were rude to Mikata?" asked Sesshomaru as he glanced briefly at Tonbo before helping himself to a few pieces of sausage. He knew that Tonbo was only rude to people if they were being difficult and she was not known to lie.

"Yes My Lord. And she definitely deserved it with all the crap she made me put up with! Asking me to bring her two different meals and then refusing them when I do! Bloody hell!! I'm not going to put up with that!" replied Tonbo as she looked at Mikata who was now steaming at the ears. She spoke rather quickly because of her accent and it made Rin, Jizenka, Kohaku and any other servants who were nearby laugh heartily. It always surprised Sesshomaru how Tonbo always said what exactly was on her mind.

"No wonder she poured water on your head Mikata. You deserved it! I apologize for my sister's behavior Tonbo-san." Replied Jizenka as he slowly recomposed himself after having had a good laugh.

"Quite alright Jizenka-Sama! Quite alright! If your sister was as polite as you she'd probably be treated better!" replied Tonbo as she rested her chin on Rin's head which made Rin giggle slightly.

"My Lord. Would it be alright if Tonbo and Kohaku could join me for breakfast?" asked Rin as she looked at her Lord while dipping a strawberry into some cream and then biting it.

"They may if you so choose Rin." Replied Sesshomaru as he forced himself to take his eyes away from her lips that seemed to be preoccupied with biting into another cream covered strawberry.

"Why thank you My Lord! You are far too kind indeed!" said Tonbo as she bowed deeply and sat next to Rin and began piling strawberries, raspberries, cranberries and a mixture of chocolate and whipped cream onto her plate. Dragonflies, demon or not, loved anything sweet.

"Yes, thank you Lord Sesshomaru. Tonbo-chan is right. If the other Lords were like you and Lord Jizenka, then there probably wouldn't be any problems." Agreed Kohaku as he piled sausages, fried eggs (sunny side up) and bacon onto his plate.

"Wouldn't that make everything just wonderful?" said Rin as she smiled and sipped some water.

"How right you are Kohaku! Very wise observation!" stated Jizenka as he clapped his hands together and took a sip of water from his large glass.

"I agree Onii-Sama. You and Lord Sesshomaru are quite wonderful Indeed." Replied Mikata as she glanced over at Sesshomaru, pink tinged her cheeks slightly and she took in a deep breath before letting out a sigh.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were in-love with Lord Sesshomaru, Mikata? Unless…I'm mistaken?" asked Kohaku with a mischievous grin on his face.

"Oh Kohaku! You always amaze me! You took those words right out of my mouth, you did! Just as I was about to say the exact same thing you know!" exclaimed Tonbo as her eyes brightened and she smiled slyly.

"I'd say the both of you are right on the mark!" replied Jizenka as he quirked an eyebrow in his sister's direction and winked at her.

"ONII-SAMA!!" squealed Mikata as her face turned bright red. She put her hands to her cheeks and ran away from the table, squealing as she ran out of the dining hall.

"Hmmm. Perhaps I said too much." Pondered Jizenka, as he rubbed his thumb over his chin, as if he was contemplating on whether or not to go see if she was alright.

"I'm sure she'll be just fine Jizenka-Sama." said Rin as she grinned from ear to ear. "_Just fine indeed…_" thought Rin as she tried to stop herself from laughing.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Tonbo watched as Rin ran through the field of rainbow colored flowers that seemed never-ending, picking up different ones and rearranging them into a bouquet before throwing them into the air so that they fell all around her. Smiling, Tonbo picked up a light blue carnation and placed it behind her ear as she walked over to Rin who was now lying in the pile of colorful flowers she had made with the bouquets. The soft wind of the summer blew Tonbo's sapphire hair out of her face as she sat down next to Rin who was now completely hidden from view. Kohaku, who was leaning against a tree with a piece 

of wheat grass in his mouth, made his way over to them as well. Sitting in between Tonbo and Rin who had moved to sit up when she noticed he had come over, he wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders and said "So, what's on the agenda for today ladies?"

"Kohaku dear, since when did you get so enveloped in our lives? You don't have a girlfriend yet?" asked Tonbo as she laughed and leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"No Tonbo, he doesn't have one. Not yet!" replied Rin as she giggled as well and put her head on his other shoulder.

"Damn…I wonder why you guys are my best friends sometimes if this is how you're going to treat me. Honestly! I'm just worried about my two favorite girls!" stated Kohaku as he pulled out a camera from inside his brown kimono and took a picture of all three of them.

"You know we love you Haku. Don't take it to heart!" replied Tonbo as she kissed him on the cheek and giggled when he blushed "But on a serious note here, how are you doing Rin?"

"I'm fine. I'm just anxious as to when we can finally tell everyone that Sesshomaru and I are mates." Said Rin as she let out a sigh and fell back into the flowers, pulling Kohaku and Tonbo down with her.

"Has he said why he has not let everyone know about it yet?" asked Kohaku as he stared up at the sky which was patched with white fluffy clouds.

"He wants the other two demon Lords and the ones from the human villages nearby to be there so he can announce it to everyone at once." Replied Rin as she traced the wings of a pink butterfly that had landed on her finger.

"Oh I see. He just cares about you so much! It's so sweet! Haku! Why don't you ever do anything like that for me eh?" asked Tonbo as she squeezed Haku and laughed when she heard him squirming.

"Tonbo…can't…breathe!!" exclaimed Kohaku as he then let out a long sigh after finally being released from Tonbo's hold around his chest "Hey…isn't that Mikata?" He said as he sat up and looked towards the thick trees of the forest to see her running into its darkness.

"Is she crazy!? Ogres pass through that bloody excuse of a forest!" exclaimed Tonbo as she watched Mikata's tiny form disappear out of sight.

"Damnit!!" shouted Rin as she stood up quickly and whistled loudly. Murasaki appeared from high in the sky and swooped down next to Rin, allowing her to jump onto her back in one swift motion.

"Where are you going Rin!? Let us come with you!!" said Tonbo and Kohaku simultaneously as they stood up and watched as she snapped her fingers. She was now wearing her demon slayer outfit and going towards the direction of the forest.

"I'm going to get her before she is seen by the ogres!! I don't want her death on my conscience!! If I'm not back soon then get help!! Stay here in case she comes out without me!" replied Rin as she too disappeared into the thick dark leaves of the trees of the forest.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"Curse Rin!! Curse her and that Tonbo woman, and Kohaku and my stupid Onii-Sama as well!! Curse them all!!" shouted Mikata as she ran through curtains of vines that hung down from the trees. "AHH!!" she screamed as she tried to pull a humongous spider web from out of her way. She had run straight into it and got her hair caught in it, as well has her hands. "_What kind of forest is this?! It's not normal! So many disgusting things…_" she thought as she squirmed in the stickiness of the spider web. She was completely unable to use her powers to get free since her hands were stuck. "NOO!! I'M GOING TO DIE!! I'M GOING TO DIE AND NEVER EVER BE ABLE TO FEEL LORD SESSHOMARU'S LIPS ON MY OWN!!" she yelled at the top of her lungs as tears began falling down her cheeks. Her mouth was suddenly covered and she tried to let out a scream, only to be slapped hard across the face. "Shut up. You aren't going to die. But you will attract bad attention from the demons of this forest if you don't be quite." Whispered Rin, a hint of annoyance in her voice as she stared at Mikata, her eyes glowing white. Mikata nodded her head and watched as Rin sliced through the spider webs with her war fan, causing her to fall onto the ground.

"Come!" ordered Rin as she took off in the direction she had come from, Murasaki running behind her in her small demon state. Mikata followed her without any argument, running as fast as she could to try and keep up with her strenuous pace. She then hit something which caused her to fell backwards into a pile of dirt. "Shit…Get down!" whispered Rin as she got down behind some overgrown bushes. Mikata crawled next to her as she tried to get clumps of dirt from out of her hair and peered through the bushes. She gasped when she saw two giant mountain ogres, sitting on the ground talking to each other while roasting a very large animal over a fire. They were both extremely ugly, with rough gray skin that seemed to have a scar or gash on it everywhere you looked. Dark gray pieces of worn out torn cloth that were probably supposed to be kimonos covered their bodies. "These large deer sure do take a long time to cook Kazu!" stated the larger one as he poked the animal with a stick. "Be patient brother Yuu. We will find something else to eat in the mean time if it does not cook fast enough!" replied the one named Kazu as he stood up to scan his surroundings. Mikata couldn't hold her fear in any longer and let out a small squeal. It was barely above a whisper, but it was enough for the ogres to hear it. Rin slapped her hand over Mikata's mouth but it was too late and they heard the voice of one of the ogres as it said "Who's there? It seems food has come to us brother!!" "Indeed it has!!" replied Yuu as he got up and slammed his overly large arms down on the bush where Rin, Murasaki and Mikata were hiding.

Rin jumped up while Murasaki pulled Mikata away from danger. They were now out in the open and there was no way for them to escape. "Look Kazu! Two very young women! A demon and a human! How delectable they look! And a demon cat as well!" exclaimed Yuu as he grinned from ear to ear and licked his lips at the sight of them. "I will have the human woman and you can have the demon woman! We can both share the cat demon for desert!" agreed Kazu as he rubbed his rough hands together. "Like I'll let you lay any of your nasty hands on us!!" retorted Rin as she stood up, spinning her fan in between her fingers "Murasaki! Take Mikata and go now!" Murasaki let out a loud growl as she transformed into her true size and picked up Mikata by her kimono, tossing her onto her back as she took off into the sky. "How brave of you woman! You think you can take on two full grown ogres by yourself!?" asked Yuu as he let out a loud hard laugh that filled the entire forest. "Yes. I certainly do!" replied Rin as she smiled evilly and her eyes glowed white.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jizenka walked with Sesshomaru through a small garden that was at the very front of the castle. Sesshomaru looked off into the distance. He could see Tonbo standing in the middle of a field of flowers and she looked extremely worried. Kohaku, who was a few feet away from her, was pacing up and down with his arms folded; he wore his demon slayer outfit and Kirara was in her transformed state, watching him as he seemed to mutter things to himself. He wondered where Rin could be, it wasn't like her not to be with them. Before he could think of it anymore, Jizenka said "Will you be accompanying me to the human village?"

"Why would I do such a thing Jizenka?" asked Sesshomaru as he glanced over at the red haired demon next to him.

"There might be some sort of benefit for you. I'm not very sure how, but I'm almost 100 sure Rin would like to visit a village of half demons."

"You are probably right."

"I knew you'd consider it somewhat if I mentioned Rin."

"Hnn."

"When do you plan on telling the entire court and the other Lords that you two are mates now?"

"I should have suspected that you would realize it. As soon as you are finished with your appointment with that village thing."

"Congratulations. I was beginning to think that all women were afraid of you Sesshomaru!" stated Jizenka as he laughed at Sesshomaru's facial expression. Before Sesshomaru could answer, they both heard Mikata's loud squeaky voice shouting "HELP!! HELP!!" Sesshomaru and Jizenka were over by Kohaku and Tonbo in the blink of an eye. They watched as Murasaki landed and Mikata jumped off of her. It took her a while before she could walk normally and she made her way over to her brother and buried her face in his chest. "What happened to Rin!?" exclaimed Kohaku as he waited impatiently for her reply. "OGRES!! TWO OF THEM! IN THE FOREST! HELP HER!! HELP RIN SESSHOMARU-SAMA!!" yelled Mikata as she turned her head towards Sesshomaru's direction to see that he was already gone. He didn't even need to be asked; as soon as he heard her name the first time, he had run into the forest so fast that they hadn't even realized he was gone. Kohaku jumped onto Kirara's back as well and headed into the forest after Sesshomaru.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

"You think I'll let you kill me? FOWL DEMON!!" shouted Rin as she spun around in a blur, slicing one of the ogre's directly across his chest and hitting the other one with her Nunchaku's in the face. She threw her war fan behind her, causing it to stab the ogre straight through its heart as she jumped towards the other ogre and kicked him in his chest. She then got low onto the ground and did a sweeping low-kick that caused him to fall down. Flipping backwards, she landed on top of her war fan that was half way into the ogre's chest and ripped it out as she flipped through the air, landing on to a large boulder that was a few feet away. The same two orbs of purifying energy and demon energy appeared at each corner 

of her war fan and she threw them at the ogre that was now lying on the ground. "Quite fast for a human!! BUT NOT FAST ENOUGH!" exclaimed the ogre named Yuu as he quickly caught Rin by her legs, stopping her movement. Rin hung upside down and had to keep leaning up as the ogre attempted to knock her upper body off of her legs. "DAMN YOU!!" yelled Rin as she threw her war fan at his arm that was holding her, slicing it off completely. The ogre screamed in pain as his blood splattered the dark green trees of the forest and Rin's porcelain face. Her eyes narrowed as she picked up her war fan and sliced his other arm off before jumping back after almost getting slammed into the ground by the other ogre. "Just a little more, and your aura will disappear completely!" shouted Rin as her eyes as well as the marks on her body began glowing. The war fan hovered off of the ground and floated over to her. She grabbed it out of the air and opened it completely so that the light from the sun would reflect off of it and at the ogre. "Don't worry. Death isn't all that bad." Whispered Rin as she suddenly appeared beside the ogre's ear before disappearing back to where she had been standing before and closed the fan. The ogre's eyes widened and he yelled so loud that all the birds in the trees flew off from the horrible sound. By closing her fan, Rin had crushed every bone on his body and caused them to pierce through his skin.

Rin then fell to the ground on her knees. Never before had she used so much of the war fans power. It was taking a toll on her body since she was not used to it. She struggled to stand but fell back onto her knees and hands. "DAMNIT!" she exclaimed as she gripped the closed war fan in her hand, it's sharp edges cutting into her hand as she willed her body to move. "_Move! Move! MOVE!!_" she thought over and over as she heard the other ogre walk towards her, his menacing laughter filling the air around them. "DIE FOOLISH HUMAN!" exclaimed the ogre as he slashed her across her back, causing her to scream out loud. She fell to the ground as her own blood pooled around her. She could see the ogre walk pass her as he dragged his brothers body away, deep into the forest. "Ses…sho…maru…Sa…ma…" she barely managed to say as her breathe escaped her. "_I want…to…live…to be with…Sesshomaru…_" she thought as her mind went blank.

"RIN!!" exclaimed Kohaku as he appeared next to her and picked her up in his arms, her blood staining his demon slayer suit completely. Sesshomaru stood over Rin and had to control himself from going on a rampage at the site of her blood stained body. "RIN!! WAKE UP!! WAKE UP RIN!!" yelled Kohaku from the top of his lungs as his tears fell down his face and drenched Rin's blood stained cheek. He shook her vigorously as if willing her to wake up. Rin's body lay limp in his arms as he rocked her back and forth. "Rin……" his voice trailed off as he cried hysterically, cradling her body against his chest. Sesshomaru picked up Rin's body in his arms and just stared at her. Her beautiful face and her hair were covered in blood. He had to hide his face away from Kohaku who was now leaning in the puddle of Rin's blood and banging his fists in it as he continued to cry out her name over and over. "RIN!! YOU IDIOT!! LIVE DAMNIT LIVE!!" he shouted as he gripped the wet dirt between his fingers. Sesshomaru clutched her body tightly to his chest and hid his face into the crook of her neck as he wept.

"Rin…" whispered the soft voice of a woman.

"Who's that…who's calling me…" replied Rin as she spun around in the darkness to find out where the voice was coming from.

"Wake up Rin."

"I don't want to…it's so calm here…"

"You have people who need you Rin. Someone will die if you don't wake up in time."

"People who need me? Someone's going to die?"

"Yes Rin…remember him? He plans to take his own life after he kills the ogres."

"Sessho…Sesshomaru…Sama…"

"Yes Rin. Hurry and wake up. You will be different when you awake however."

"Different? How will I be different?"

"Wake up to see Rin. Hurry! You don't have much time." Replied the voice as she spoke her last words "WAKE UP!" Rin shot up off of the ground in a sitting position and then let out a loud growl as she felt a strong pain in her head. She looked down at herself to see that she was covered in blood and then looked to her right to see that Kohaku was curled up in a ball on the ground saying "Rin…please live…please!" Rin crawled up to him as memories of what happened to her filled her mind. "_Oh…that ogre tried to kill me!!_" she thought as she hit her fist against the ground. "KOHAKU!" exclaimed Rin as she jumped on him and hugged him.

"RIN! RIN!! YOU'RE ALIVE!! YOU'RE….WAIT!! WHY ARE YOU ALIVE!!" yelled Kohaku as he jumped away from her, completely shocked by the whole situation.

"I never died Kohaku. I'm not sure what happened but a voice woke me up from the darkness and said I'd be different now."

"I'm sure Lord Sesshomaru will be happy to know that."

"OH NO! WHERE IS HE KOHAKU!?"

"He went to go avenge your death by killing those ogres."

"NO! TAKE ME TO HIM! HE PLANS ON KILLING HIMSELF AFTER HE'S DONE!!" exclaimed Rin as she jumped onto Kirara's back and Kohaku jumped on behind her.

Sesshomaru sped through the forest as fast as he could, more than that if possible. He couldn't think, his heart was aching and his stomach was churning around. The feelings he had felt after seeing Rin dead a third time made him curse himself over and over. What he felt was incomprehensible; it was as if his insides were threatening to turn inside out. His mother had told him that she could not be revived a third time; there was no way of him ever seeing her again unless he killed himself. He should have known that she could never be alone, she feared nothing, she feared no one, and she never feared death anymore because of him. He should have known that she would greatly take on a demon as powerful as Ryūkotsusei by herself if she had to. His eyes were blood red and his stripes continued to become jagged as his anger took control of his body. He then transformed into his true form and went on a rampage through the forest as he sought out the ogre who had done this to her. Sniffing the air, he finally picked up on the ogre's scent. He ran faster, knocking down trees as he went, destroying everything in his path with one thought in his mind "_KILL!_"

Finally reaching the ogres, he stomped his paws into the ground behind them and growled evilly as he watched the ogre cower in fear. "PLEASE!! SPARE ME!!" shouted the ogre as he stared into Sesshomaru's eyes that were blood red and reflected his own scared image in his eyes. His poisonous saliva spilled onto the ground, burning it like acid as he held the ogre down with his left paw. He dug his claws into him, taking pleasure in the pain he was inflicting on him. To silence his annoying pleads of being spared; he ripped of his head and crushed it under his other paw as he crushed his body with his other paw. Transforming back to his human state he then took out Tenseiga and revived both ogres, but quickly killed them by slicing them to bits before they could even take their first breaths. Unsatisfied with only being able to revive them once, he continued to rip them to shreds, now with his claws until there was barely anything left of them. His eyes were still red and his stripes were still extremely jagged as he got down on his knees and grabbed Bakusaiga. "_Rin…_" he thought as a single tear fell down his cheek.

He pulled the sword straight towards his stomach…but the blow never came. His eyes widened and he let out an annoyed growl, wondering who dared to try and stop him. He felt small hands go around his waist and hold onto him tightly. "Koibito…" whispered Rin as she looked up at Sesshomaru with tears in her eyes. His breath hitched as he stared into Rin's chocolate brown pools. She reached her hands up to his face and ran her fingers over his jagged stripes. "I'm here Sesshomaru…I'm here." Whispered Rin as she kissed his cheek. He held his breath and wrapped his arms around her; he couldn't tell if he was dead and now with her in the after life, if he was so far gone that his mind had created an illusion or if she was really there. As if she could read his thoughts she said "I'm not dead. I'm here Sesshomaru…I promised I'd never leave you remember?" Before he could answer her, she pressed her lips to his, kissing him as if she hadn't seen him in years. He kissed her back with the same passion as he held her tighter against his chest. He stood up, still holding her in his arms and swept her off her feet with his other arm, still kissing her in the process. "Glad you both are alright! Shall we head back? Tonbo's worried about you, and surprisingly, so is Mikata!" said Kohaku as he flew over head, smiling down at both of them. Rin laughed at Sesshomaru's annoyed expression and pulled him by the arm through the trees that were now either broken in half or uprooted. "I love you…Sesshomaru…" said Rin as she turned her head to smile at him. "This Sesshomaru…I…love you as well…Rin…" replied Sesshomaru as he tightened his grip around her hand.


	8. Transformation

**Author's Notes:** Here's the next chapter. Another steamy scene people, you've been warned. Once again I'd like to thank **TJcat01**, **love-is-poison39**, **peckforever** and **Sesshy Rin 4ever** for your reviews on the previous chapter. I hope all my readers enjoy this chapter!!

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**Chapter 8**

Rin tossed and turned over and over as she slept. She was extremely restless ever since that day Sesshomaru had almost killed himself. She'd been asleep for a whole week and had yet to awaken even once. Kohaku and Tonbo would watch over her to make sure that she was alright and to wait to see if she would wake up. Sesshomaru had not visited her once since he brought her back to the castle. He would stay in his office the majority of the time and was much harsher to the servants than usual; the air was thick with uneasiness and worry. Jizenka would bring fresh flowers to her room in the early mornings and leave them on a little table that was next to her bed. When Mikata had seen her body covered in blood, she began crying as she thought she was dead, but soon realized that she had only gone to sleep.

"Rin..." came the voice of a woman. It was so calm and peaceful and it made Rin feel at ease.

"Someone's calling me again..." said Rin as she spun around in the field of flowers. She stood in the middle of a giant field of flowers that flowed in ever direction; it was never-ending and the soft rays of the sun beat down on the top of her head.

"Wake up Rin."

"Wake up? Why would I want to wake up and leave this wonderful place?"

"Because it's time."

"Time? Time for what?"

"Time for you to wake up Rin. To change."

"Change? I don't want to wake up..."

"Don't you want to see him again?"

"Sesshomaru...I miss him..."

"Wake up Rin. If you truly want to see him, then wake up."

"How will I change?" she asked one last time as she heard the woman say again "Wake up!" Rin shot up in the bed, sweat soaking her white kimono and the bed she lay on. Bright light was the first thing to enter into her eyes and she made a loud hiss-like growl noise as she shielded her eyes with her right arm. Slowly she removed her arm from in front of her face and her eyes adjusted to the light. She tried to get up, but realized that she couldn't because she was trapped in between Kohaku who was asleep on her left side, and Tonbo who was asleep on her right. "_I wonder how long I've been asleep…_" she thought as she smiled down at them. Taking in a deep breath, she cleared her throat and shouted "GOOD MORNING!!" Kohaku and Tonbo jumped up immediately and fell off of her bed, dragging the covers down with them. Rin burst into laughter and fell backwards, holding her stomach as she tried to stop laughing.

"RIN! YOU'RE AWAKE!!" exclaimed Tonbo and Kohaku simultaneously as they jumped back onto the bed and suffocated her with a giant hug.

"Yes I am. How long have I been sleeping for?" asked Rin as she scratched her head.

"You've been asleep for…a whole…week…" replied Tonbo as her words trailed off. She and Kohaku stared at Rin with eyes so wide, it seemed they would soon pop out of their heads. Their mouths dropped and a shocked expression appeared on their faces.

"A whole week! Wow…but…why are you guys staring at me like that?" asked Rin as she tilted her head to the side.

"Y-y-you're…y-y-you're…" replied Kohaku as he pointed at her ears, his arm shivering slightly.

"I'm what? What is it?" asked Rin as she felt for her ears. She then squealed loudly, for they weren't shaped the same way anymore "MY EARS!! WHAT…?"

"Pointed…" replied Tonbo as she continued to stare at Rin.

"Like Sesshomaru-Sama's own…" said Rin as she felt her ears. She squealed and then jumped off of her bed and looked into the mirror that was above her dresser. Her ears looked the same but were a bit more pointed now like her Lords own.

"Rin…what's happening to you?" asked Kohaku as both he and Tonbo stared at Rin in confusion.

"That's what I'd like to know…" replied Rin as she turned around and looked at them.

"Your face, markings have appeared on your cheeks and on your forehead." Stated Tonbo as she got up off of the bed and stood next to Rin.

"Time to change…" whispered Rin as she ran her fingers over the new marks on her face. A violet colored diamond was right in the middle of her forehead and coming from under her ears, were two dark violet stripes, one on either side, that went up her cheeks and pointed towards her pupils.

"Time to change? What's going on Rin?" asked Kohaku as he walked over to Rin and put his hand on her shoulder.

"She's changing. She's no longer human as you can see." Replied the war fan that was being held on to by Rin unconsciously.

"I didn't even realize I was holding this. It was your voice that I heard. Why have I changed?" asked Rin as she held up the war fan in front of her.

"You've been holding on to it ever since you fainted. When you and Lord Sesshomaru were walking through the forest, you stopped and picked it up, but as soon as you touched it, an electric shock went throughout your whole body and you fainted. You've been asleep ever since." Said Kohaku as he folded his arms and looked at the fan "We couldn't get the war fan away from your grip; anyone who tried was shocked badly. It was even too much for Lord Sesshomaru."

"You died Rin. Kohaku said that when he got to you, your heart wasn't beating. It almost scared him to death when you suddenly woke up." Added Tonbo as she turned her attention to the fan.

"You had been holding on to the war fan at that time as well." Stated Kohaku as he tried to study the weapon in her hands.

"If she had not held on to me at that time, she would have certainly been dead. But I saved her life." Replied the war fan as it vibrated.

"How?" asked Rin, Tonbo and Kohaku all at once.

"I gave her my demon powers. Every last drop of them. She now has the powers I had when I was alive and therefore, because you have my powers, you will now become the same demon I was before my soul was captured and placed into this weapon." Replied the war fan as it reflected the light from the sun.

"But I thought you've already given me some of your powers?" asked Rin with a look of confusion on her face.

"No my lady. Although I have called them mine, I simply did so because I am now a war fan. Every demon weapon has its own power, and since my soul was put into a weapon that already has powers, my own powers became obsolete. But I could have given them away if I wished to do so."

"I see."

"Would you like me to tell you what kind of demon you are Rin-Sama? Or shall I let you find out yourself?"

"I'd like to find out for myself once again. Thank you!"

"Be warned, once your senses become heightened, it will be quite hard to deal with at first."

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Sesshomaru stood on the balcony of his office, staring off into the distance. It was quite early in the morning and the soft chirps of the birds could be heard as they echoed from deep inside the forest. The wind played with his hair like it usually did, as if greeting him while it travelled by to go off into the unknown. He had become even quieter than usual, and much colder, if at all possible. He spoke nothing to no one ever since Rin had fallen into a deep sleep, but when he did, it wasn't usually a good thing. All his thoughts consisted of were his mate Rin, and nothing else. He would leave the castle for hours and would not return until late in the night when all were sleeping; this is also when he would wait by Rin's door to see if he could hear the slightest hint that she had awoken from her sleep. When he was not thinking of her, he would simply go over scrolls and letters to occupy his time. Jizenka would try to get him to talk but he would not yield; he was a cold hearted, emotionless statue without her.

As he turned away from the balcony, he heard the gentle rustling of a kimono flowing in the wind behind him. He turned his head to look and his heart nearly stopped. He then turned around completely to look in front of him as he thought "_An illusion…no…_" Standing there, on top of the stone railing of his balcony, was Rin smiling down at him. His eyes widened at the new features she had. She wore 3 different kimonos; the first layer was a French green, the next layer was pearl white, and the third outer layer was a sea blue with white and black line patterns on it. Her hair blew in front of her face and she brushed it away with her left hand. She was barefoot and was standing on her tiptoes; she did not seem afraid that she might fall off. He stared at her ears for a while and then looked at the marks that now graced her face. He then raised an eyebrow when he noticed strange sounds coming from her, but he ignored it. He wondered what had caused her to go through this strange metamorphosis. She no longer had the scent of a human; she had the scent of a pure blooded demon.

Rin jumped off of the railing and landed again on her tiptoes without making a sound; the only thing making any sound at all, being the three silk kimonos she had on. He looked down at her and he seemed to be somewhat dazed. His expression was still cold and stoic as it usually was and had not changed even though she was awake now. She knew he was uncertain and she wondered what it must've been like for him; she knew she had worried him. Yes, a whole week was nothing to a demon, but it must've seemed like an eternity during the time she slept. Sesshomaru closed his eyes when she brought her hands up to his face and ran her thumbs over his stripes. She closed her eyes and listened as she realized she could hear his heartbeat in crease slightly. Letting out a sigh, she tiptoed slightly as she brought his face down to hers and she greeted him with a soft passionate kiss. She sucked onto his bottom lip and then on his top lip, slowly repeating it over and over as if trying to save the way his lips felt to memory. Sesshomaru let out a small growl as he wrapped his arms around her small waist, pulling her closer to him as he used his tongue to part her lips and deepen the kiss. Her arms were now wrapped around his neck and she jumped up to wrap her legs around his waist without breaking their kiss. Their tongue's battled for dominance and she moaned into his mouth as she ran her fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry for worrying you…" she said breathlessly as she broke the kiss. Sesshomaru brought her back inside his office and sat down on a chair, with her sitting on top of him.

"Rin…" he replied as he caressed her cheek with his left hand as he held her firmly against him with his right.

"Yes?"

"I thought I had almost…"

"You thought you had almost what?"

"Lost you…again…you will be the death of me Rin."

"Awww…don't say that. I promised I'm never leaving you." She replied giggling a bit.

"So you say. It's not funny Rin." He replied as he narrowed his eyes at her response.

"I know, I know."

"Hnn."

"Ahhh…you smell good…like fresh water…pine…your own masculine scent…and very faintly of the cherry blossoms…" she replied as she snuggled her face into his chest and inhaling deeply.

"Rin…why has your appearance changed? Could it have to do with the shock you received?"

"I died…the war fan stopped me before my soul left my body…she saved me but…now I've become the same demon that she was when she was alive."

"I see that. So it was the only way to save you…"

"Are you disappointed Sesshomaru?" she asked as she tightened her grip around his waist.

"Why would this Sesshomaru be disappointed Rin?"

"Because I've…changed…"

"That does not matter Rin. You are still you, are you not? A mere change in your species is nothing to be worried about."

"Sesshomaru…I…" she said as her words trailed off and she pressed her forehead to his. Before he could answer her, her eyes went wide and she let out an annoyed growl-like sound as she pressed her hands to her ears squealing "So…loud…"

"Rin?" asked Sesshomaru as he realized what was happening to her. He watched as she screamed out in her discomfort and grabbed his hands, pressing them against her ears.

"So loud…make it stop…too many noises!! SO LOUD!!"

"Rin…try to calm down…"

"MAKE IT STOP!! SESSHOMARU!! IT'S SO LOUD!!"

"Rin, please try to calm down." He said as he hugged her body firmly against his chest to try and comfort her. He knew she would have to get used to her heightened senses sooner or later.

"Sesshomaru…make it stop…so many noises…it hurts Rin…"

"Try to listen to only my voice Rin." He said as he continuously rocked her back and forth as he kissed her temple. He knew that when she referred to herself in third person that something was extremely wrong.

"I can't…it's…too much…so many sounds!"

"Rin…please try…"

"I'm…trying…" she replied as a singe tear fell down her cheek. The sounds were so loud. She could hear her own breathing, her heart beat, Sesshomaru's soft breathing, his heartbeat, birds chirping, footsteps beating up and down the hall; the rustling of trees and so many voices, the voices of everyone within range of Sesshomaru's living quarters. She tried as hard as possible to only listen to his voice. It was deep and smooth like velvet, the most soothing sound out of everything else. It made her heart beat faster.

"Rin. Smell this." He said as he pulled a small bottle off of his desk and uncorked it. The liquid inside was extracted from a rare flower called the Lunar Iris. It would only bloom whenever there was a Lunar Eclipse and would die as soon as the rays of the sun touched it. It was very good for putting things to sleep.

"What…is……it………" she replied as he held it under her nose; it knocked her out cold.

"Rest well my beloved." He said as he closed the bottle and placed it back onto his desk. He sighed; this was not how he envisioned spending his time with his mate as soon as she had awoken from her deep slumber. Standing up with her still in his arms, he opened the door to his office and carried her down the hall until he got to her room. As he laid her onto her bed, she reached up and pulled him down to her, cradling his head in her chest while she slept. She then spoke in her sleep saying "Don't go…Koibito…" He smirked and slowly released her arms from around his neck before kissing her softly on the lips and leaving her room.

As he left her room, he met up with the only other person he trusted Rin with at the castle, besides Jaken, Jizenka, Kohaku and Tonbo and her other two handmaidens. He asked them to watch over her and bring her lunch when she woke up. They then bowed quickly and made their way to her room. After walking further down the hall, he met up with Jizenka who was walking in his direction. Jizenka and Rin seemed to be the only two people who truly knew exactly what he was feeling. Jizenka smiled brightly; Sesshomaru snorted at this finding it rather disturbing at how happy he looked and watched as he put his arm around his shoulders.

"I see Rin has awakened." Said Jizenka as he winked at Sesshomaru, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Do I fail in masking my emotions so horribly or is it simply that you keep tabs on everything I do?" asked Sesshomaru as he raised his eyebrows. He always wondered how he knew what he was feeling or thinking.

"Hahaha! Don't be absurd Sesshomaru. It is simply because I know you so well that I know the secret of being able to tell how you feel."

"And what might that be?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't very well be a secret anymore now would it?"

"Very well."

"How is she?" he asked as he was very concerned since she was like a daughter to him.

"She has changed."

"How so?"

"She is no longer human but a full blooded demon, much like you and myself." He said as he stared at an unknown spot in front of him.

"Elaborate."

"When she did not die, it was her war fan that protected her. In doing so, the soul of the demon inside it, transferred its powers to her, thus resulting in her transformation."

"Does she look different?"

"She has marks similar to mine and on her forehead is a diamond. The marks she received from the bond she made with her war fan have also changed. They look like my marks, only they curve more. The ones at her neck now point down to her chest and the ones on her wrist curl around it in one swift motion."

"Interesting. I would certainly like to see this. But first! Let's have lunch!! I'm famished!"

"It was not to my knowledge that Tengu demons ate so much." Replied Sesshomaru as he raised an eyebrow.

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

It had passed lunch time and Rin had yet to wake up. Food had been brought into Rin's room for her to eat as soon as she woke up. She woke up to the smell of beef ramen and onigiri's. She took in a deep breath and sighed happily from the wonderful smell of the food. Sitting up in bed, she let a yawn escape her mouth and she frowned slightly from the noises coming from around her. She was beginning to concentrate on one sound so that the others wouldn't become a burden. For now, the sound she concentrated on was her own heartbeat, but she would have preferred to concentrate on Sesshomaru's wonderful voice. Just imagining the way his voice sounded calmed her down considerably. Her ears twitched slightly after hearing a new sound. It was the sound of someone else's steady heart beat. She could also smell the faint smell of the woods and of roses. Opening her eyes, she nearly gasped at the person who was sitting at the foot of her bed.

An extremely handsome man sat on her bed staring back at her with a sly smile on his face. His eyes were an emerald green and dark blue, almost black hair fell down the sides of his face, stopping at his shoulders in a layered style. His bangs were long and stopped right above his eyelids and were combed to the right covering his right eye completely as they went around meeting his sideburns. Skin as white as snow made his thin eyes more noticeable. He lifted up a hand to his hair, running it through the section of hair that covered his right eye as he leaned back on his elbow. A long jade green kimono with white square patterns at the sleeves and shoulders graced his slightly muscular body, bringing out the color of his eyes even more. The kimono parted open slightly, showing his chest but stopped where a black obi was tied around his waist. He was a flower demon, a rare rose demon to be exact. In a voice that was almost as deep as Sesshomaru's, he said "You're finally awake. I was beginning to think you would sleep all day."

"SHIN!! When did you get here!? I missed you so much! I have so much to tell you." Replied Rin as she crawled over to him and sat down, hugging him tightly.

"I can see that, being you're now a demon. And I also notice that Lord Sesshomaru has marked you. Congratulations. And I got here this morning."

"You and Tonbo seem to notice everything about me."

"Tonbo? How is my step-sister doing? Still madly in-love with Kohaku?"

"Yes but I don't think Kohaku realizes it yet. Where have you been this entire time?" she asked as she looked up at him.

"Visiting my father. He was ill but recovered rather quickly."

"Oh that's good. Still have loads of women running after you?"

"When don't I?" he asked as he flicked some of his hair behind an ear.

"Well excuse me! Silly question! Don't you ever think about settling down?"

"Why would I ever do such a thing Rinny? You insult me…I feel so betrayed…"

"Dramatic as usual I see." She replied as she laughed and rolled her eyes at him.

"So Rinny…are you still…sensitive?" he asked as he stared at her with a mischievous look on his face.

"No…I'm not…you stay away from me Shin!"

"Come now. Let's see if you still react the way you did when you were a child."

"You wouldn't?!"

"Oh but my beautiful innocent Rinny…I certainly would…"

…:iiillliii:…:iii****iii:…:iiillliii:…

Jizenka and Sesshomaru made their way through the halls and soon stopped at Rin's room. "Sesshomaru, why have you stopped?" asked Jizenka as he looked down slightly at Sesshomaru who seemed to be listening to something "It's quite rude to snoop on people you know…" Sesshomaru glared at him and then continued to listen. Rin was his mate, he could listen to what she was doing if he wanted to, and he did not need anyone's permission. The sounds he was hearing did not make him happy in the slightest. He stood there as his eyes flashed red slightly and it took all he had not to burst into the room. But he wanted to make sure that he knew exactly what was happening before going in. He had left her with one of her 'best friends' as she called him, so he thought he must definitely be 

hearing wrong. "I suppose I'll listen as well." Whispered Jizenka as he stopped and focused on the sounds coming from inside her room.

"Come on Rinny…just a little bit more…" said Shin's voice from inside the room.

"N-no…I…can't take it…please…don't…" replied Rin in a breathless voice that made Sesshomaru feel a slight stab in his chest.

"Rinny…you know I'm not stopping anytime soon."

"Don't…stop…please…"

"Don't stop, please? Oh of course I won't stop Rinny. I wouldn't dream of it."

"Noooo…I...too…much…"

"Oh but Rinny, I've only just begun!" said Shin as he let out a loud laugh while Rin continued to make strange noises. "I say…Shin is certainly the perverted one isn't he…at a boy!" said Jizenka as he grinned from ear to ear. He then realized that Sesshomaru was giving him a look with murderous intent written all over it and he said "Oh, you know I'm just joking Sesshomaru!" Sesshomaru had had enough of this. He burst into the room and in the blink of an eye he had Shin up against the wall by his throat. "Sesshomaru-Sama!" Rin gasped as she sat up on the bed. She realized this didn't look right at all. Here she was, lying on the bed, her hair extremely disheveled, her kimono falling over her shoulder slightly, sweat on her forehead, the bed covers wrinkled up and when Sesshomaru had entered the room, Shin had her pinned down with her arms over her head while his other hand was at her stomach. "What do we have here? What were you two kids up to? It sounded extremely suspicious if you ask me." Said Jizenka as he tried to stop himself from laughing and looked from Rin to Shin over and over. Shin didn't seem the least bit worried even though Sesshomaru could have killed him at any minute.

"What were you doing to Rin boy?" asked Sesshomaru as his eyes flickered from red to gold.

"I was not doing anything perverted if that's what you believe. But I do not blame you for thinking so, as my reputation precedes me." Replied Shin in his normal tone. He didn't seem in the slightest bit afraid because he knew he hadn't done anything wrong.

"Do not make this Sesshomaru repeat himself."

"I was simply doing things that Rin and I have done before."

"Such as?" asked Sesshomaru as he grew impatient. He did not like the sound of him doing strange things to Rin more than once. His grip tightened around Shin's neck. Shin narrowed his eyes and his body began t turn blue as it turned into millions of cyan blue petals and flowed through Sesshomaru's fingers, creating a pile on the floor that then turned into Shin who was now in a sitting position. Rin ran up to Shin and got down in front of him on her knees as she held onto Sesshomaru's legs and looked up at him saying "He was only tickling me! I'm fine really. He didn't do anything inappropriate I assure you. He may be a pervert and have many women going after him…"

"HELLO! I'M RIGHT HERE YA KNOW!" exclaimed Shin from behind her as he interrupted her in mid sentence.

"But he's only my friend and nothing more. Besides, I find him much too conceited personally..." She continued as she hugged his legs tighter.

"Yes…that's it…insult the rose demon boy…pretend like I CAN'T HERE YOU!" added Shin as he rolled his eyes and stood up, making his way towards the door "I'll talk to you later Rinny. Maybe then you won't be INSULTING me as if I'm not here. I'm going to find my sis. Good day to you Lord Sesshomaru, Lord Jizenka."

"Good day to you as well Shin." Replied Jizenka as he nodded his head towards the boy and closed the door behind him. Jizenka's eyes widened when he noticed that Rin was now standing and kissing Sesshomaru, quite passionately, with her arms wrapped around his neck. He shook his head and made and 'Ahem' sound that made Rin pull away from Sesshomaru, instantly. Her cheeks were now a bright pink as she walked over to Jizenka and hugged him.

"You have indeed changed into a demon. A Bakeneko to be exact." Stated Jizenka as he hugged her back and patted her on the head.

"A Bakeneko? What kind of demon is that?" asked Rin as she sat on her bed and looked up at Sesshomaru who was now standing next to Jizenka, with his arms tucked into the sleeves of his kimono.

"It's a cat demon. Not like the one's I battled a few years ago with the half-breed. These are somewhat more spiritual and do not like conflict." Replied Sesshomaru as he closed his eyes.

"Spiritual how?" asked Rin as her eyes widened with curiosity.

"You will most likely be able to see spirits, although I'm not entirely sure because I have never met a Bakeneko before and you will also be able to bring back the dead by simply walking over them." Stated Jizenka as his voice became serious. "If I'm not mistaken, they have the ability to use Kotodama as well."

"Like Sesshomaru-Sama does? That's wonderful!!" exclaimed Rin as she clasped her hands together and seemed t be glowing brightly. "Umm…what's Kotodama?"

"A Bakeneko can only bring back the dead once, just like Tenseiga. They could bring back a whole field of corpses simply by walking through it with their arms outstretched. Kotodama is the ability to control and talk to the spirits through words. You can do this mentally. I believe however, you must have the spirits name in order to control it."

"That's amazing…I'm happy…I feel like I can be somewhat like Sesshomaru-Sama now…"

"Yes you should be very happy indeed Rin. I think I will take my leave now. I think Mikata will be happy to know that you are well. She's actually been quite worried about you." He said as he smiled and left the room. Rin then flopped back onto the bed and let out a long sigh as she said "That was tiring…I've never had to concentrate so hard before." She then reached up to her ears and began rubbing them as if to stop the slight pain she was feeling from the sounds. A strange cat like growling sound came from her as she attempted to soothe the pain in her ears. Sesshomaru walked over to her and leaned up against 

the headboard of her bed as he pulled her into his lap. She smiled and nuzzled her face into his chest before surprising him with a kiss on the lips. Before she could pull away, he held her head up as he put his hand at the back of her neck and deepened the kiss. She moaned into his mouth as she reached her hands up to play in his hair; she could feel herself becoming even more heated than usual because of her youkai powers. Soft groaning noises could be heard faintly as they emitted from deep in Sesshomaru's throat; she could also sense so many other things that she never noticed before; the quickening of his heartbeat, his steady heavy breaths and the occasional moan he would make as they kissed. They only seemed to increase her arousal. She then gasped when she felt him move his lips to her ear and lick all the way up and around until he sucked on the soft part of her lobe. Her breath hitched in her throat as she fell backwards with him and he licked his way down her jaw-line and all the way down to her throat as he said "Still finding it hard to concentrate Rin?" She replied with a loud moan as he flicked his claws, tearing her kimono directly in half as he moved his mouth to one of her breasts to suckle it in his mouth. She then screamed his name out as he hit a sensitive part and continued to lick around her hardened nipples over and over as he switched back and forth between her two globes. Her body arched up as she held his head down to her chest and gripped his silky hair between her fingers.

"Sessho…" she moaned as her words trailed off as he inserted two of his fingers into her sex. She gripped the sheets beneath her as he slipped them in and out, increasing his pace as he licked the mark on her neck. He switched from slow to fast over and over which caused her to moan out broken versions of his name as her body arched up towards him. "Please…don't tease me…" she whispered as she gripped the sheets beneath her and let out a loud moan as she reached her climax. He then gripped her thighs and trailed kisses down them until he reached her warmth. Her scent was making it hard for him to control himself. Quickly, he pulled off his obi, kimono and hakama and brought his mouth down to her entrance which caused her to gasp. He could feel her shudder as he gently caressed her thighs with his clawed hands and he licked around her button in circles before sticking his tongue partially inside her warmth. She moaned out his name again and held his head down with her hands as she shivered slightly.

After teasing her a bit more, he licked all the way up pass her belly button, up her neck and along her jaw-line until he met her mouth with a hungry kiss. He moved his body against her slowly, his length rubbing against her entrance as he cupped her breasts in both of his hands and squeezed them slightly. Breaking the kiss, he looked down at her to see that her face was extremely flushed and that her eyes had changed gold like his with thin cat-like pupils in their center. She stared at him, slightly breathless; his silver hair fell down and tickled her face slightly and she could see his toned muscles that went all the way down his chest. Her eyes wandered to his length and she blushed at the sight of it. She reached up as her legs wrapped around his waist and ran her fingers along his stripes which were slightly jagged. "Make love to me…Koibito…" she whispered as she kissed him softly and moaned as he continued to play with the tips of her hardened nipples. "Don't tease me…please…I want you…" she whispered again as she bucked her hips slightly "I need you…all of you…don't be afraid to let go…I'm…not scared…" Sesshomaru grinned and kissed her hungrily as his eyes turned completely red and he entered her slowly. She bit her lip and stifled a moan as he slowly filled her.

He slowly pulled out when he felt her grip around his waist loosen somewhat and she let out a sigh. He pushed back in at the same pace and had a steady rhythm to ensure that she would get used to it. "Mmmm…Koibito…more…" she pleaded with him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. Smiling, he greatly granted her wish as he went faster and listened to her stifled moans as they continued to kiss each other. "Faster…" she moaned as she broke the kiss. She then let 

out a loud moan as he went faster and held her by her hips to help her keep up with him. Her eyes closed completely as she dug her nails into his back and tightened her legs around his waist as she neared her climax. "Riiinnn…." Moaned Sesshomaru as he reached his climax and continued to enter her. Rin then moaned out his name at the top of her lungs as she reached hers a few seconds after. She pulled her nails from his back and licked away the small amounts of blood she had retracted while scratching his back. He then rested on top of her with his head in the crook of her neck and his length still resting between her legs. With one hand, he pulled the sheets over them and wrapped his arm around her waist protectively as he whispered in her ear "You belong to me." She shuddered at the possessiveness of his voice and replied sweetly "Forever."


End file.
